Category: Uncategorized

The NBA draft was last night, and while the Grizzlies didn’t have any first-round picks, they made some moves in the second. The Flyer’s Chris Herrington has an excellent analysis. The biggest move is that we dealt Darrell Arthur to Denver. In return, we got an asset we desperately needed, Kosta Koufos, a true center. Koufos will allow Marc Gasol to get some rest on the bench when he needs it. Koufos started 81 games for Denver last season.

In breaking Grizzlies news, it looks like Jerryd Bayless will be back next year. I bet Meg is jumping up and down with joy right now. Hopefully in a tube top.

Also, D.J. Stephens will play on the Miami Heat’s NBA summer league team. He has not been drafted by any NBA team as of yet.

South Main Trolley Night is tonight, with many galleries and shops open until 9 or later. There are several special events. One is a closing reception for George Hunt’s “Memphis – Still the Blues” show at d’Edge, as well as a celebration of Mr. Hunt’s 73rd birthday. Miss Birdsong’s Sweet Tooth Candy Company will have a booth at Main and Nettleton. There will also be illustrators and silk-screen artists doing demos, and the Amurica photo booth will be in the area. There will also be several shops and galleries with live music.

MPD is considering moving its headquarters out of the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center and into a building the city already owns at 128 Adams. That building served as police HQ from 1911 to 1982. I remember attending a presentation by former MPD director Larry Godwin a few years ago, and he said what a great thing it would be to have all public safety services housed together in one building. Currently those functions are scattered across the city.

The Orpheum will show 1956 John Wayne western The Searchers at 7 tonight. Before the movie at 6:30 there will be a concert by bluegrass band Blue Day.

Want to learn to fly? There’s a Groupon for Downtown Aviation. For $49 you get a 90-minute lesson with both ground school and flight time. Downtown Aviation isn’t actually Downtown, but up the road on North Second a bit. Close enough, though. For those of you who live in suburban hell Olive Branch, there’s an option to take your lesson out there too.

Mobile LED signs may be coming to Downtown. The DMC’s Design Review Board will review the proposal Wednesday, July 3 at 4 PM, and the public is welcome for those who have input.

Plans for tonight: I’ll lead off at the Saucer, where I’ll likely drink Dos Equis Lager while being stared at by a person who has been consumed with bitterness and resentment lately. Then around the corner to celebrate a friend’s birthday at 7. (Mostly) fun times ahead for tonight.

There was an explosion and underground transformer fire last night at the Exchange Building at Second and Madison. Second was blocked from Court to Madison for a while.

There’s a great article with lots of info about new Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger on GrizzGrind.com. Thanks to @chrisvernonshow for tweeting it this morning. The article’s author definitely writes outside of the box, shall we say, but it’s still worth a read.

The Brass Door is having a “Rally in the Alley” outside tomorrow evening starting at 5 PM. They will have $2.50 Miller Lite, $3.50 Brass Door Red, and $4 Fireball.

5th Kind headlines tonight’s Peabody rooftop party. The buffet this week will be a mashed potato bar, and if you’re in VIP you’ll have meatloaf sliders, tater totals, and pimiento cheese spread with vegetables. The drink special this week will be Cruzan “9” spiced rum for $4.

Last week was my mother’s birthday. As a believer in shopping local, I wanted to find her something produced in Memphis. After a few minutes of pondering, I thought, “Why not send her what Memphis is most well known for – BBQ?” I got on Central BBQ’s web storefront. I poked around for a bit, then selected the Small Central BBQ Combination Pack. It came with one slab of ribs, one pound of pulled pork, one rub (I chose the rib rub) and one sauce (I chose mild). Since she really needed to be home to get the delivery, I scheduled it for last Friday rather than her birthday in case someone took her out that day. She had the pulled pork last weekend and loved it. She also shared the pork with a couple of her neighbors. She has the ribs in the freezer and I’m sure she will love them too. Keep Central in mind if you want to send someone a birthday or holiday treat.

From Consumerist: Some restaurants are now courting customers who use popular photo-sharing social app Instagram. They see the sharing of food porn as good for business, and I would agree. There have been a few times when I have shown up at Aldo’s Pizza Pies, for example, because someone Instagrammed the Slice of the Day.

That’ll do it for now. Will probably start at the Goose after work, then park myself somewhere later in the evening and watch the draft second round.

Craig from the Memphis Que blog has an interesting post comparing The Rendezvous to Latham’s, a BBQ joint in Jackson, Tennessee. Craig does a great job dispelling the myth that The Rendezvous is the place to go for true Memphis-style ribs. For those not wanting to drive to Jackson, he recommends several local restaurants, three of which are Downtown: Central BBQ, Double J, and Cozy Corner. If you’re a tourist coming to Memphis and want the true Memphis BBQ experience, I’d recommend any of those three over Rendezvous. Craig puts it well when he says that of all the BBQ joints in Memphis, Rendezvous represents the biggest gap between hype and reality. I do disagree with one thing Craig says, though, about Blues City Cafe on Beale being a tourist trap. I like their ribs too and send tourists there all the time, especially when the tourists don’t feel up to the longer walk to Central.

RAW: Natural Born Artists presents Kaleidoscope tomorrow at Minglewood Hall. This is a showcase of local talent in the areas of art, fashion, music, film, hair, makeup, photography, and performing art.

Great news for beer lovers! Dogfish Head has announced it will return to Tennessee and several other states in 2013. A few years ago you could find delicious Dogfish Head beers including their 60 and 90 Minute IPAs and my favorite, the Midas Touch brewed from a 3000-year-old recipe. However, demand for the beer exceeded their capacity to produce it at the time, and they had to pull back. Now they have scaled up and are ready to re-enter some markets, including our state.

The Memphis Business Journal posted an article about LetsMoveDown, an app that will let you upgrade to better seats once you’re already in your seat at Grizzlies games. The really good news, though, is at the end of the article: Next season you will be able to use your phone to show tickets, rather than having to print them out or go to Will Call.

That’s it for now. I’ll probably lead off at the Silly Goose after work, in the hope that Jessica will wear another tube top.

At lunchtime I posted about a decision by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to start enforcing a 2006 law banning infused alcohol. Now The Tennessean is reporting that the ABC has reversed that decision and will not prohibit infusions. Good call.

There’s a current Groupon for Alannah’s Breakfast Kafe on North Main Street. Two options: $7 for $14 worth of food, or $20 for $42 worth of food.

The Tamp and Tap Room, the new coffee and beer bar soon to open in Van Vleet Flats, reports that its baristas have been in Chicago. They’ve been training in Latte Art at Metropolis Roastery, and will soon get to show off their skills.

Prince Mongo, the spirit from the planet Zambodia who has run for mayor of Memphis on several occasions, will give his annual “State of the Mongo” address Saturday at noon. Hear it on AM 560/FM 87.7 on MemphiSport Live.

Central BBQ (all three locations) will be closed Monday, July 1 all day. In other news, I’ve heard that Downtown Central has a couple of locally brewed High Cotton beers for the next couple of weeks.

The Nuh-Uh Girl (last seen on this blog in a tube top) texted me tonight and told me poker night at the Mad Earl is definitely worth checking out. 6:30 and 8:30 Mondays.

Home after Pint Nite at the Saucer. I stopped by Blind Bear where Ruffin cooked me some excellent blackened fish with sides of pepper jack mac & cheese and green beans. Few more bites then off to bed.

We lost two Memphis legends over the weekend. Blues, soul and R&B singer Bobby “Blue” Bland passed away at the age of 83. Bland was a member of the Blues Hall of Fame (inducted 1981) and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (inducted 1992).

This morning, one of the biggest names in Memphis wrestling, Jackie Fargo, died at the age of 85. Fargo held many tag team titles in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He was the originator of the “Fargo Strut,” and he served as a mentor to younger wrestlers including Jerry Lawler, Steve Keirn, and Stan Lane.

The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission recently sent a letter to bars telling them to stop serving infused drinks. This would include sangria and other beverages infused with fruit, bacon-infused martinis, and vodka infused with candy. The law has been on the books since 2006 but up until now has not been enforced. Pretty stupid law if you ask me.

Speaking of the ABC, I know for a fact they’ve been sending people to Memphis bars recently who are underage or have expired IDs. Be extra careful if you’re a server or bartender.

If you’re a server looking for a job, Trolley Stop Market is hiring. They’re looking for people who are happy, energetic, and punctual. If interested apply in person after 2 PM any day this week. The market is on Madison in the Edge neighborhood. Their food is great and from what I hear, the place stays pretty busy, so it would likely be a good place to work.

My friend Air Traffic Mike, pictured here celebrating Tube Top Month, gave me a good tip that I thought I’d pass along. He went to George Paul’s Last Call, which is the back bar of Blues City Cafe on Second Street. It shares a menu with Blues City. Air Traffic Mike ordered a grilled cheese off the kids’ menu and dipped it in chili. Mmmm that sounds good.

Beer news: The Cash Saver on Madison is having a beer and hot sauce tasting from 4:30 to 6:30 PM this afternoon. Customers will get to try free samples of Brooklyn Brewery beers as well as Crazy Good Hot Sauce. Of course, the beer tasting is 21 and up, so bring your ID. Free hot sauce? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Photos from the Memphis to Moore event have been posted. I managed to avoid the camera, which is the way I like it.

The Majestic Grille is closing at 2 today for a private event and will not be open for dinner.

That’ll wrap it up for now. Plan for tonight: Drink $3 draft beers, probably while being stared at.

In my Saturday post, I forgot to blog about the excellent late-night snack I had Friday. More and more City Market is becoming my go-to place for food – according to Foursquare I’ve been there 21 of the past 60 days. Last week they added a new summer item which is excellent. The curry chicken boti roll with yogurt Raita is available in their grab & go cooler. Really, really tasty. A little spicy but not too much, and that yogurt for dipping is out of this world.

Save the date for next Sunday: On June 30 Kooky Canuck will have its annual Canada Day celebration. They’ll have $3 Canadian bottled beer and $4 Forty Creek whisky, along with a Canadian food menu. This is one of the best days of the year at Kooky. There will be lots of people in Canadian colors and jerseys and the event will be hosted by honorary Canadian consul to Memphis B. Lee Mallory. If you want to participate in the poutine-eating contest, sign up here.

A friend of mine who lives near the Riverside/Georgia intersection asked me to post a link to this website. Apparently a number of residents in that area oppose the variance that is being requested to re-zone 666 Riverside Drive, fearing it will detract from the beauty of the area and decrease property values. They believe that a storage facility and a drive-thru window will harm the character of the neighborhood. I have no dog in this fight and don’t live in the area, just posting the link at the request of a friend.

It’s time for the random pro wrestling video of the week. This week it’s Famous Pipe Bombs. It’s about 13 minutes and includes:

• Joey Styles goes off on “sports entertainment” and the WWE style of announcing on WWE Monday Night Raw
• “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro, bashes Ric Flair. Then he tells people to change the channel and watch Stone Cold on WWE, and finishes by saying WCW sucks.
• Paul Heyman blasts Vince McMahon about running all the local promoters out of business
• Kevin Nash calls Scott Hall a drunk on WCW Monday Nitro
• C.M. Punk calls Jeff Hardy a drug addict and tells Hardy he’s going to lose to Punk. Hardy goes on to lose to Punk, and a couple of years later, gets arrested on felony drug charges and does jail time.
• A couple of clips of The Rock

In other pro wrestling news… former WWF champion The Iron Sheik is putting together an Indiegogo campaign. He wants to crowd-fund $100,000 to create a documentary about the career of the Iranian legend. Donate here or else you are the jabroni like the Virgil and the Tito Santana.

Last night a bunch of us gathered at Blind Bear for our friend Misty’s birthday. Here are a few pics.

(Edit: Dammit WordPress, you broke image upload with the latest release! I can still FTP them to my site and insert from URL, but what a pain.)

Misty and the Nuh-Uh Girl

Okay, people, take notes. This is how it’s done. TUBE TOP DRESSES.

South Side Supper Club. It was my first time hearing this band perform and they are a natural fit for a speakeasy environment.

The Nuh-Uh Girl wishes Misty would hurry up and finish blowing out the candles so she can have some cupcakes to eat.

After multiple PBRs and shots of Fireball, by midnight I was DONE. I wished Misty a happy birthday, thanked host Chad for a wonderful party, and made my way home. Thank goodness I know when it’s time to hit the off switch. I don’t try really hard to stay out and end up puking on myself while sitting on a bar stool or getting thrown out of multiple bars in one night. Most of all, thank goodness I don’t get behind the wheel after 12-13 hours of drinking and endanger the lives of others. For those who do engage in such behavior, here’s a list of AA meetings today in Memphis.

And now it’s Sunday Fun Day. I don’t know if this Sunday will be like the last one, but if it works out that way, this is what Pete will be thinking:

That’ll do it for now. Happy Sunday Fun Day!

Before I get started with today’s news, I want to share a story. Last night I was hanging out at the Flying Saucer (shocking, I know), standing in my usual spot. There was a couple in the first two seats at the bar, and after a while they came over and introduced themselves. “Are you the blogger?” they asked. “We relocated to Memphis from San Diego. We decided to move Downtown because of your blog, and a lot of the things we do down here are things you recommend on your blog.”

That absolutely made my day. Getting feedback like that means so much more to me than winning Best Blog poll awards. From time to time I get asked if I get paid to write this blog. I do not. I write this blog because I have lived Downtown since February 2002 and love it down here. Great shopping, great dining, great entertainment… but more importantly, it’s the people I have met over the past 11 years that make Downtown a home to me. In this blog I try to share why I like Downtown so much through my own personal experiences. When, through doing that, I convince cool people to come down here to live or to have fun, it makes me very happy.

Oh, and one more thing… there’s excellent tube top watching Downtown. Don’t want to leave that out.

One piece of advice for newcomers to Downtown and to Memphis: Go to a Memphis Redbirds game. AutoZone Park is consistently named as one of the best, if not the best, ballparks in the minor leagues, and some of the park’s facilities (for example the huge video board) make major-league teams jealous. An 8-game homestand opens tonight with a game against the Iowa Cubs at 6:05. There will be fireworks after the game. Gates open at 4:50 and Christian rock band Satellites & Sirens performs on the plaza at 5. Fact about AutoZone Park: It is the only ballpark in the minor leagues where the hot dog is not the top-selling food item; here, BBQ nachos outsell hot dogs.

What’s happened to the Memphis Farmers Market calendar? They used to have detailed announcements of live music, featured produce, and other entertainment for each Saturday. Now it’s just generic “Market Day” listings.

Double J Smokehouse and Saloon is having more fun stuff on their patio tonight. The Eddie Smith Band will play in the parking lot from 8 to 12, and cornhole boards will be out.

If you want to work in the arts, Opera Memphis is looking for a marketing coordinator.

Plans for today: I’ll start off at Panda’s bar at Bardog as usual at 11 AM. Tonight should be fun. A friend is having a birthday party at the Blind Bear, and looking at the Facebook list of who’s attending, it’s more or less the people who used to play trivia as the Rapscallions plus the people who play poker at the Downtown bars. I’m one of several people who bridges both of those crowds, so it should be a fun night indeed.

Lots of good stuff today. Let’s get to it.

There will be a puppy pool party this Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM at The Barking lot, at the corner of Main and Jefferson. It’s a benefit for Mid-South Spay & Neuter Services, and official vendor Memphis Dawgs will accept “Tips for Snips” donations. In addition to the pools, there will be lickable ice sculptures for the doggies as well.

The Orpheum will show classic movie Casablanca tonight at 7 on the big screen. Come early for a talk about the movie by film historian Vincent Astor. Astor’s book about Memphis movie theatres will be out this fall.

The Grizzlies are holding an Open House at the FedExForum tomorrow from 10 to 2. Test-drive seats if you’re thinking about buying season tickets. First 200 through the door get a “Believe Memphis” headband. If you purchase season tickets tomorrow, you’ll get a tour of the Grizzlies locker room. There will be free parking in the Toyota Parking Garage.

Local craft brewery High Cotton Brewing has a website that is worth checking out if you’re a beer lover. Learn about the types of beer they brew and where you can find it. I love good beer almost as much as I love tube tops.

Next Friday, Elmwood Cemetery is hosting a What a Way to Go tour. You’ll hear about Memphians famous not only for the lives they led, but for how they passed away. Tour cost is $20.

From Mashable: This watch will tell you when it’s time to stop drinking.

That’s the news for now. Happy weekend everyone.

Three great Memphis restaurants have gotten even better this week. Chef Jason Doty of Bluff City Bakery announced he’s now baking for Bardog Tavern, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, and Slider Inn. Follow the Chef on Twitter at @CraveMemphis.

The Memphis Flyer published its list of 10 free things to do this summer yesterday, and a writer uncovered a hidden gem of Downtown that even I didn’t know about. There’s a workshop at 645 Marshall, Saint Blues Guitar Workshop, where you can watch guitars being built. These guitars are used by notables such as Eric Gales and MGMT.

There will be a house party at the James Lee House, 690 Adams, on Monday, July 1 from 4 to 6 PM. The party is to celebrate the renovation of the property into the James Lee House bed and breakfast. Mayor Wharton, councilman Lee Harris, and the house’s new owners will be there. You can park for free one block north at Poplar and Orleans, and there will be entertainment and refreshments. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The MBJ has a good article on the new Belle Diner in the old Rio Loco space on Union. They’re currently serving Southern lunch dishes from scratch at under $10. They plan to expand to dinner later this month, and possibly Saturday and Sunday brunch. As much as they can, they shop locally for ingredients.

Tonight’s movie in the Orpheum Summer Movie Series is The Philadelphia Story, a 1940 movie starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. Start time is 7 PM.

The weekly Peabody rooftop party tonight will have The Millionaires with special guest Capitol Cities as entertainment. They’re going with a Mexican theme this week, with a fajita bar on the buffet and chicken and cheese enchiladas, a taco bar, chips and queso fresco on the buffet in VIP. The drink special is Cruzan passion fruit rum ($4) and the Budweiser sampling in VIP will be Woodchuck cider.

Also tonight, the Rebel on Beale concert series starts its season with Emerson Drive.

This is not a Downtown job, but I’ll mention it because I’ve heard it is a great place to work. Running Pony, a video production and post-production company, is hiring a writer/director/producer for commercials and corporate videos. They’re a fun place with annual opportunities to volunteer, annual fun days, opportunities to travel, and free snacks. Free snacks? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will apply.

Thanks to MemphisWeather.net I now know what an outflow boundary is.

I’ll probably lead off at Silly Goose again tonight after work. Last night Jessica had a tube top on as she bartended and that’s definitely the type of attire I want to encourage. I’ll be out about 5:30. Later in the evening I’ll hit the other usual bars.

All right folks, we have ourselves a slow news day here. I’ll post what I’ve got but this won’t be long.

If you live in Memphis and fly at all, you should consider signing up for Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program. Southwest is considering a big move into the Memphis market, and one of the ways they gauge interest is by how many people in zip codes around the airport sign up for Rapid Rewards. Let’s let Southwest know they are wanted here, and maybe we’ll finally get reasonably-priced flights out of Memphis International. If you post about Rapid Rewards on social media, use the #MEMLUV hashtag which is another way for Southwest to track.

The Corked Carrot, the cupcake and wine bar at 314 S. Main, has announced WineAfterWork Wednesday. They will have half-price Conundrum wines from 5 to 7 PM, with radio’s Steve Conley as your host.

Don’t forget that TUG’s on Mud Island is donating 10% of recepits to the Hospitality HUB today. Grab you a good meal and help an organization that gives a hand up to those in need.

The Brass Door has $5 well martinis all day in celebration of National Martini Day.

That’s all I’ve got. I’ll probably change things up today after work and lead off at the Silly Goose in hopes of seeing some tube tops on the patio. Over and out, and maybe I’ll do a second post if the rest of the day proves more newsy.