Category: Uncategorized

“Midgets go up on you”

Voting for the Memphis Flyer’s annual Best of Memphis poll has begun. You can vote here. Note that you can only vote once (rather than once per day as with other polls), and you must fill out 50 percent of the ballot for it to count. Because of the 50 percent rule, I like to get a print copy of the Flyer and fill out the ballot on paper before I get online and enter my selections.

After voting has ended, I’ll do a post about who I voted for in notable categories. I don’t like to talk about it while voting is going on, because I don’t want to skew the results. (You can probably figure out my vote for “Best Blog” though. I doubt my “Best Bar” vote will be much of a mystery either.)

The Hunt-Phelan Home is for sale. This historic pre-Civil War mansion is on Beale just east of Danny Thomas. It was most recently used as a bed and breakfast with a fine restaurant; honestly, I didn’t even realize the B&B had closed. If you have a little under $2.9 mil this home can be yours.

This morning I saw a great quote tweeted by Eric Mathews of EmergeMemphis/LaunchMemphis:

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are asking, ‘What’s in it for me?'” -Brian Tracy

This could not be more true, and is worth printing out in 144 point type and placing where you can see it every day. If you’re an entrepreneur in Memphis, by the way, you need to follow Eric. He’s @ecmathews on Twitter.

September 1 has been designated 901 Day, a celebration of all the things that make Memphis a great place to live. (901 is Memphis’ area code, and September 1 is 9/01.) They are building a list of 901 Day celebrations on the website. I already know where I’ll be on that day – at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, the Center for Southern Folklore’s 2-day celebration of local and regional music, food, and culture.

The FuzzyBrew blog has a good post up on craft beer you can buy at West Memphis Walgreens. Beers include Goose Island beers, Boulevard beers, and higher-alcohol New Belgium beers that can’t be found in Memphis.

Last night I did something I haven’t done in over a year – played trivia at the Flying Saucer. Five of us from the old 2005-11 Rapscallions team were there drinking beer, and we were invited by a few people on the rail to join them for the 10:00 game. Fun times. That place was packed for the earlier 7:30 trivia game… the inside room was as busy as a typical Friday night. Gift certificates of $50, $35, and $15 are awarded to the top 3 for each of the two Tuesday games.

Also last night, I got the paperwork done for my 6th plate party at the Flying Saucer. If you drink 200 different beers, you get a plate on the wall and a party for you and your friends, compliments of the bar. Normally the party bar tab is $100, but because it’s my sixth time around, I get a super-sized tab of $150. Email will be going out soon announcing the date and time.

Wednesday night. What’s going on?

• LaunchMemphis Tech Cocktails happens at South of Beale tonight at 5:30. Techies, entrepreneurs, and creative people are invited to take part. $5 donation to LaunchMemphis gets you great networking and happy hour specials on food and drinks.
• Brass Door Bingo, Open Mic Night, and wine specials at Brass Door. Yuengling kayak winner to be announced at 10.
• Wine and pizza specials at Papa Pia’s
• Also wine specials at Silly Goose and Itta Bena
• Poker night at Bardog. I believe I remember Poker Jon saying there’s a special 9:15 start time tonight. Someone must have rented the Underdog Room for a private function for the early evening.
• Trivia night at Blind Bear, 8:00
• Belgian glass night at the Flying Saucer. Not only do you get to keep the glass, but you get a raffle ticket for a drawing for a trip to Belgium. Drawing to be held July 21. This is a sweet beer vacation worth about $6500.
• There’s also a public meeting for the Lower Mississippi Resource Assessment from 4 to 8 PM on Mud Island.

Quick lunch, some fun with RSS feeds this afternoon, and then I’ll be out tonight. Probably start at the Saucer and figure out the rest of the night from there.

The Brass Door gives away its Yuengling kayak tomorrow night, Wednesday, July 11. Get in there and drink some pints of Yuengling to earn chances to win.

Here’s one for the “things I never thought I’d see” list: Free agent Hasheem Thabeet has been signed to an NBA contract. The OKC Thunder signed the former Grizzly center/#2 draft pick to a two-year guaranteed deal. Thabeet brings a lot to the team, including being 7’3″ and… uh… well, not much in the way of basketball skills… um… did I mention he was 7’3″? As a Grizzlies fan, I am very happy to see Thabeet on an opposing team in our division, and I hope he gets a lot of minutes.

The city of Memphis now has its own iPhone app. The app will keep you informed of things like weather, street closures, and special events. You can also use the app to report potholes and problem properties, and can attach photos with the reports you file. An Android version of the app will be released soon.

In the past I’ve written about beer and food pairings at the Flying Saucer and other Downtown restaurants. If you’ve enjoyed those and want to take it to the next level, there’s a Groupon for a beer and food pairing class at L’Ecole Culinaire. The class is normally $250, but with the Groupon you can get it for $99. If beer’s not your thing, there’s also a World of Wine class available via Groupon today.

Memphian on TV alert: A Memphian who moved to Norway will be featured on the TV show House Hunters International tonight. Show is on HGTV at 9:30 PM Central time.

Check out this Memphis Flyer article on Aldo’s Pizza Pies if you haven’t already. Yesterday I walked past the place and they were doing orientation. Several people saw me and saved. I suspect I’m going to feel right at home there from day one, just as I did at its sibling restaurant Bardog.

Last night I made my return to poker at the Silly Goose after several weeks off. It was the “super satellite” for a seat at the final table next week in Poker Jon’s league. Grand prize for the final table is an entry to the World Poker Open at Gold Strike in Tunica happening later this month. Pretty nice prize! I didn’t win the satellite, but might have if I’d played one hand differently. I’ll probably write a post about it in my poker blog sometime this week. That’s it for now, busy afternoon ahead.

It’s about a month until the NFL pre-season starts. Every year I get emails asking which bars have the NFL League Pass for watching all the games. Well, here’s a website you can bookmark and find out for yourself: WhereToWatch.com. Pick your sport, pick your team, and pick your city, and it will tell you where you can find your game.

Kerry from the I Love Memphis Blog visited the Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum recently. Here’s her report. Downtown Memphis is lucky to have a lot of niche museums. Not only do we have the railroad museum in Central Station, but the Fire Museum on Adams, the Slave Haven Museum on North Second (a former Underground Railroad stop), and the museum of Chinese art and culture in Pembroke Square, just to name a few.

Kevin Cerrito’s weekly trivia at Ferraro’s will have an all-TV theme tomorrow night. If you’re a TV junkie, might as well put your knowledge to use and win some bar bucks! Starts at 8 PM, and there will be $1 PBR and Rolling Rock drafts. Also, don’t forget that the first edition of Kevin’s sports trivia will happen Thursday night at the Green Beetle.

Just wrapped up one of the most boring weekends in recent memory… not much at all of interest happened. We expanded our double-elimination pool tournament to 5 players Sunday at the Saucer. I managed to win again. The only other real highlight of my Sunday was eating a butter tart at Kooky Canuck. May do a post on that later.

Plans for tonight: The usual Monday. Pint Nite at the Saucer (most drafts $3). Possibly over to the Goose for Poker Jon’s game at 7:30 or 10:00.

Here’s something new and cool and different to do Downtown… and it’s inexpensive as well. Tonight from 5:00 to 7:30, Chinese Connection Dub Embassy will be performing Memphis reggae and jazz aboard the Riverfront Loop trolley. It’s part of the Memphis Trolley Unplugged series, a joint venture of the Memphis Music Commission and MATA. They’ll have live music aboard the trolley noon-1:30 weekdays and 5:00-7:30 Friday and Saturday. River views and real Memphis music for the trolley fare of a buck (or a quarter if it’s a Code Orange ozone day).

Wow. MATA actually did something cool. I didn’t think that was possible.

Tonight is a fireworks game at AutoZone Park. It’s also a salute to our armed forces. The Redbirds host the Nashville Sounds and game time is 6:05 PM. By the way, if anyone from the Redbirds is reading this, your redirect from memphisredbirds.com to the MiLB site for the Redbirds doesn’t seem to be working this morning.

So, the office closed at 1:30 yesterday, and not surprisingly, I was at the Flying Saucer by 2:30. On the walk down there I ran into a database admin who is one of my former co-workers… could have easily talked to him for another 15 minutes but it was so blasted HOT outside!!! I hate that in the summer, when I have to cut conversations short because I’m melting. Anyway, he works for Pinnacle, and when they moved Downtown he thought he’d hate it here. He said he was wrong – he likes being Downtown, everything is very convenient. Glad to hear that. I miss being to eat at Court House Deli and Little Tea Shop on my lunch break.

My friends Darrin and Jenny came in not long after I got there, and we grabbed the couches and chatted. They left to go get the Voodoo Nachos at Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen on Beale. “For people who want something similar to BBQ nachos, but not BBQ, I’d recommend it,” said Darrin, and I totally agree. It’s tortilla chips covered with marinated Cajun chicken, white nacho cheese, and fresh – this is key, FRESH jalapenos. Actually, I recommend you try both the Voodoo Nachos and New Orleans Nachos and decide which one you like better – different Cajun chicken recipes but otherwise the same nachos. Very reasonably priced too. You could come Downtown this afternoon, hear live music on the Riverfront trolley, then go to Johnny G’s and get some nachos and not even spend $10.

The great thing about being the Foursquare “mayor” of the Saucer is that there are always people to hang out with. Not long after Darrin and Jenny left, my friend Joe texted that he was on his way. Then my friend Pete who I beat at pool every Sunday arrived. Then my friends Bob and Mike showed up. They’d been “value drinking.”

I guess this “value drinking” thing is worth a mention. They’ve started going to Hooters for happy hour, where they drink $1.50 Bud Lights and Coors Lights. I have no intention of joining them on future afternoons, because Downtown Hooters, in my opinion, sucks, and those really aren’t great beers (Coors Light in particular is awful). I know a lot of people are on a tight budget, so I’ll mention it as an option, but if you can afford it by all means come to the Saucer instead and get a GOOD beer. ($1 off draft pints at the Saucer 4-7)

Heard a couple of other interesting tidbits while there last night – not info that’s ready for the blog, but I’ll just say good things may be happening Downtown in the future.

I timed my exit from the Saucer to happen a few minutes prior to City Market closing, so I’d have time to see what was in their refrigerated food section. The little grocery at Main and Union did not disappoint. I found shrimp curry with rice and vegetable korma. Couple of minutes in the microwave and it was as good as anything I’ve had in an Indian restaurant. As I ate my late night snack, I thought to myself, you know, if I lived in Cordova I’d be sitting in the drive-thru at Krystal getting Chili Cheese Pups right now. Nope, no plans to move out of Downtown anytime soon.

Saturday morning. That means brunch, PBR, and probably Fireball with Panda Manda at Bardog at noon. Rest of day TBD.

My favorite sports talk radio show, the Chris Vernon Show, has a new home. Last Friday he announced that it was his last day on 730 AM in Memphis, in order to pursue other, interesting opportunities. Yesterday evening he revealed his plans – he’ll be on ESPN 92.9 from 11 to 2 weekdays, starting Monday, July 9. His producer Roser will come with him. Congrats to Verno and Roser. Looks like the TuneIn Radio app on my iPhone will start tuning in to 92.9.

For the reasons behind Verno and Roser’s move, check out this post on Mediaverse.

Chris Herrington from the Flyer reports that a deal has been reached with Marreese Speights to keep him in a Grizzlies uniform for two more years, with the second year as a team option. Good move. He was a key reason why the Grizzlies kept winning when Zach Randolph was out injured.

I’ve heard reports about a large group of kids running through Tom Lee Park on July 4 beating people. Did anyone else witness this? The Fourth is a holiday that lends itself to mischief, so you have to be careful. It’s probably the biggest day of the year for cruising Downtown. I know that when I walk home on the Fourth (or the Third in years when that’s the big fireworks night) I tend to walk home on the Main Street Mall rather than Second because there’s less chance of people shooting fireworks at me out a car window.

If you’re going to the Redbirds game tonight, get there early… free St. Louis Cardinals World Series replica rings for the first 3000 fans. Gates open at 5 PM.

Office closes at 1:30 today! I’ll be at the Flying Saucer about 2:30.

Last night I had a comment that I’ve been taking more days off blogging than usual. Yeah, that’s definitely true. I’ve been getting first-of-the-month stuff done, and wrapping up a big project at work. So my attention has been diverted. I hope to be back to my regular daily posting schedule soon. At least I got a couple of good pics of Panda Manda to wrap up Tube Top Month.

It’s Thursday night, so there are a couple of parties going on. Here’s the lineup:

The Living Daylights play the Peabody rooftop tonight. $10 cover includes your first drink. 6-11 PM, and ladies get in free before 7.

On the Madison rooftop, Gary Johns will perform. 7-11 PM, $7 cover, with a cash bar and small plates available.

At the South Main Association meeting next Tuesday, Jeffrey Krida, CEO of the American Steamboat Company, will speak. Meeting will be at the Brass Door, the Irish pub on Madison across from the First Tennessee Bank building. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Free for SMA members, $10 for visitors. Social at 6 PM, presentation at 6:30.

That’s all for now. Got a couple of possible different plans for after work. You never know where I might show up…

I would like to point out that today is a most unusual day. It’s what I call an “effective weekend day,” a day which is followed by a day off for almost everyone. Because most holidays fall on Mondays, effective weekend days hardly ever happen on Tuesdays. When they do happen, they often suck – for example, Christmas Eve, when most of the bars are closed and people are busy with family obligations, or New Year’s Eve, which is Amateur Night. Really, just about the only time we get an effective weekend day on a Tuesday that people can enjoy is when Independence Day falls on a Wednesday.

So, if it’s the one time all year you’ll be able to make it Downtown on a Tuesday night, what to do? Probably my top recommendation would be to check out trivia with Kevin Cerrito at Ferraro’s Pizzeria and Pub. Kevin runs one of the best trivia nights in town. Beer is ridiculously cheap, at $1 for a PBR or Rolling Rock draft. Also, the food is really good – I’ve had both the pizza and calzones. The only reason I don’t get to this trivia night more often is because it’s kind of a far walk from home. If you’re driving, though, might as well drive to Ferraro’s. It’s at the corner of Jackson and Main and they have a parking lot. Trivia starts at 8 PM.

If you’re looking for other alternatives, there’s also trivia at the Flying Saucer – two games, starting at 7:30 and 10 PM. Over at the Blind Bear, it’s poker night. I’ve been on a break from poker lately, but I hear they have been drawing as many as 40 people. Bardog has their pint night from 7 PM to 3 AM, with all their draft pints $3.

I’d previously posted that the Mud Island fireworks show is tomorrow night. The Redbirds have fireworks tomorrow too. Game is vs. Nashville and game time is 6:05, with fireworks to follow.

The Peabody’s rooftop will be open tomorrow for people who want to watch the Mud Island and AutoZone Park fireworks. Free to get in, cash bar.

I’ve been getting inquiries as to what’s open Downtown tomorrow and what’s not. General rule of thumb is that restaurants, bars, and grocery stores will be open, while most other retail will not. (One exception: I’ve heard from Lansky that they will be open.)

What to wear tomorrow for Independence Day? Why not declare your independence from straps, and wear a TUBE TOP!

In other news: Project Homeless Connect 2 needs volunteers. This is a one-day event that provides the homeless with all the resources they need to leave homelessness, right under one roof. Individuals will be able to get medical services, employment opportunities, housing counseling, Social Security, veterans’ benefits and services, food, haircuts, IDs, legal assistance, mental health services, and donated goods. There are a number of different volunteer assignments available, and they will do their best to try and match you with your desired assignment. Volunteer here. The event is at the Memphis Cook Convention Center on Thursday, July 12. They need volunteers from 8 AM to 4 PM. Individuals seeking services will be at the center from 9 AM to 3 PM.

That’s all for now. Plans TBD but I’ll be out somewhere tonight.