Chef Tam has announced the closure of her restaurant in The Edge as she moves on to new ventures. More from the CA
Ben-Yay’s will have a Mardi Gras celebration this Tuesday from 6 to 9 pm. There will be a shrimp boil on the patio and The Mighty Souls Brassless Duo will play. No cover charge.
The Blues Foundation is the subject of Action News 5’s latest 5 Star Story.
Momma’s and E&H made a list of The best 18 dive bars in Tennessee . Worth a bookmark for when you visit other parts of the state. I still want to try those cheese curds at Momma’s.
The Brass Door will open at 8 Sunday morning for Arsenal vs. West Ham.
Westy’s has six-packs of Goldcrest 51 beer, originally brewed at the Tennessee Brewery in Memphis.
Memphis fact many of you might not know: Thomas Street north of Jackson Avenue connects to Danny Thomas Boulevard, but that stretch was NOT named for the actor/comedian. Check maps from 100 years ago; Thomas Street appears, running through North Memphis and ending on the outskirts of Downtown. Danny Thomas would have been a child at the time.
Also, take a walk or drive on that street north of Jackson sometime. You’ll notice the street signs read THOMAS not DANNY THOMAS.
The Grizzlies’ GG Jackson became I the youngest player in NBA history (19y53d) to score 25 or more points off the bench Thursday night. The previous record-holder? Kobe Bryant.
I spent my 5th night in a row at the Union Mission last night. Most popular phrase spoken among the guests there? “Y’all some __________-ass motherfuckers.” Fill in the blank with an adjective of your choice.
Back tomorrow with more news probably. The Super Bowl is tomorrow, a cause for celebration for me because it’s the last time for 6 months I’ll be bored by an NFL game.
Readers’ generosity helps keep this blog afloat. Donations: Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
Wednesday morning I chatted with a Downtown businessman, someone I respect a lot, about my current situation. “I don’t think you’re far down the hole of homelessness,” he told me. “I think you have the potential to dig yourself out fairly quickly.” But,, he advised, I need to be aware of the following , any of which could cause people to label me and judge me without ever taking the time to get to know me.
– Appearance: Do I look homeless? Am I ignoring my grooming?
– Odor: He wasn’t saying I stank at the moment, but rather he was advising me to watch out as the weather starts to get warm. Obviously a major turn-off.
– Vibe, facial expressions, and body language: Do I look like I’ve given up on the world?
The next morning – Thursday morning, yesterday morning- – I left the Union Mission on Poplar where I’ve been staying at night and headed to the Downtown core. As I got to Main Street my phone buzzed in my pocket, indicating it had joined a known wireless network. I pulled out the phone to see what I had missed in the 17 or so hours since I’d gone into the shelter.
Someone had generously wired – or, should I say, “wirelessed” – $40 to my Apple Pay account. That’s cool because I have access to the money immediately. I don’t have to wait for a debit card to arrive in the mail as is the case with my new Venmo account.
I thought about what my businessman friend had said about appearance.
Then I thought, “Isn’t a haircut about $40?” I hadn’t had a haircut since February 16, 2022. My hair in the back was starting to knot up all over the place. And it was down to the middle of my back.
When Bardog opened at 8, I went over for breakfast. Then I walked down Main to Gould’s.
“Two questions,” I asked the receptionist. “Do you take Apple Pay? And can you handle a walk-in right now?”
Yes to both.
I was told the wait could be up to an hour, but 5 minutes later my name was called. 15 minutes after that we had a result::
Yeah I left it somewhat long. When you reach my age without a hint of male-pattern baldness, you get that option.
And yeah, I know I need to get rid of the stubble on my face, especially because it’s white. That’ll happen by this weekend.
One more thing about the Mission… Faith Baptist Church of Bartlett brought us some delicious BBQ for dinner yesterday.
After dinner their pastor Lee delivered an excellent sermon on the prodigal son. I have been to church more this week than I have the past 40 years of Sundays.
On to the news….
Pat Hallotan, who transformed the Orpheum into the Broadway venue it is today, has died.
Yesterday I noticed a Steak Escape food truck parked on Beale between Main and Second. I know a lot of food trucks that operate illegally park in that block, but Steak Escape has to be legit, right? I mean, nearly every mall food court has a Steak Escape.
David Roddy is no longer a Memphis Grizzly. He was traded yesterday for a 2026 first-round pick swap.
Also in Grizzlies news, GG Jackson has been moved up to a main roster spot.
Penny’s Tigers improved to 17-6 after nearby giving away last night’s game to Temple.
Southwest has added nonstop flights from Memphis International to Phoenix and Las Vegas
These posts will get better/longer next week once I have the new computer.
Readers’ generosity helps keep this blog afloat. Donations: Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
For the time being I’m only gonna have Internet access between about 8 am and 1 pm daily. If you contact me outside those times, I’m not being rude if I don’t get right back to you.
The reason why is that friends have convinced me to stay at the Union Mission (nearly) every night and to get there before 2 so the cost is free rather than $6. I don’t mind staying out for a night for good reason, but for now that’s the plan I’m gonna go with.
I took my first shower at the Mission yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for ANY shower at all, but it became clear I need to bring my own supplies. I went by Walgreens this morning and bought a Dial 3-in-1 bottle of face, hair, and body wash.
We go to chapel nightly after dinner, and I thought I would hate that. That has not been the case, though. Yesterday we had a guest preacher and service leaders from a local Black church. Let me tell you, Black folks have way more fun worshipping than white folks.
Dinner was beef. and rice last night. It was the best thing I’ve had there so far. Spaghettios seem to be a side dish at every meal.
Back to the shower for a minute. They have an awesome clothes closet at the Mission. I got a fresh, clean T-shirt, boxers, and socks while keeping my hoodie and jeans. But if I’d had a job interview and wanted a blazer, polo, and slacks, I could have got those -fot FREE.
On to the news…
Blind Bear is selling to-go party wings for your Sunday watch parties. Oder by Friday, pick up Sunday 3:30-5:30. Sizes of 10, 50, or 100. Buffalo, Jack Daniel’s BBQ, or bang bang sauce. Also available: Tony’s greens or Hibernation Dip by the quart and BBQ chicken egg rolls.
Max’s Sports Bar will open at noon on Sunday for the 1 pm Tigers game.
Today is National Potato Lovers Day. Go get a BBQ pulled pork potato friom Smurfey’s on Madison near First Horizon.
The Grizzlies have traded Xavier Tillman Se. to the Boston Celtics for 2 second-round picks.
Anyone else getting an error when they attempt to block people on Facebook? Two people who’ve meddled in my life from out of town are as good as gone as soon as I figure this out.
Tied of typing on my iPhone keyboard. Gonna hit Publish and call it a post for now. Longer posts coming when I get the MacBook my friend is sending me. For now, gonna go see if Gould’s can take a walk-in so I can look less homeless. Back tomorrow probably.
Readers’ generosity helps keep this blog afloat. Donations: Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
Sunday I found myself back on the streets with my backpack for the 4th straight night. I’d had maybe 45 minutes sleep total since checking out of the Kings Inn near 240 last Thursday.
On nights like Sunday I alternate between waking around Downtown and trying to sleep sitting up on park benches. My sleep attempts are often futile. I just can’t do it if the temperature is below 45 or if it’s a windy night.
As for walking… there’s a problem with that. I’ve been doing so much of it that my body thinks I should be doing it even when I successfully fall asleep on a park bench.
Sunday night/Monday morning around 2:00, sleepwalker me decided it was time for a stroll. And sleepwalker me apparently decided not to bring my backpack on the stroll.
When I woke up and went back to my starting point, the backpack was gone.
My MacBook Air was.in there. I was heartbroken. I searched all over but no sign of the backpack.
Other things I needed were in there too, like razors and an official copy of my birth certificate.
But my night wasn’t over.
About 5 in the morning I was standing on the trolley tracks in Court Square. I had my hood up so I could only see straight in front of me.
I sensed someone was standing next to me. I turned my head.
Black male, scraggly gray beard, camouflage jacket, about my height, weight, and age. I’ve generally had positive experiences with other homeless on the streets of Downtown, so I said, “Hey What’s up.”
“Bitch, I’m about to kick your ass,” he responded. Well., I guess this wasn’t going to be one of those positive interactions.
He backed up a step and kicked me right in the shin.
“RUN, motherfucker!” he said. He kicked me in the shin again.
I turned my back to get away from him. He kicked me in the butt. I went down but got right back up.
“RUN, motherfucker!”
Then he kicked me in the groin.
At this point a MATA supervisor in a white pickup truck pulled up and ordered him to get away from me or she’d call the police.
So I lost my most valuable possession and got assaulted, all in one night.
About noon I walked to the MPD North Precinct. They told me they couldn’t take a missing property report for my MacBook. At least there was one bright spot… i stopped at Westy’s on the way back and my server Miss Barbara remembered me from Mike’s (1980s-2005 restaurant that was the predecessor to Bardog).
Meanwhile my friend Allison (Butt. Slut #1) sent me a link about all the things a night at the Union Mission offers: a warm bed for the night, an escape from the streets, a shower, a fresh change of clothes. In the afternoons they have something called the Opportunity Center. On Mondays they have medical staff there.
About 5 I walked up to the mission. After some intake paperwork and some background checks to make sure i wasn’t a rapist or several other horrible things, they admitted me and gave me a ticket for a bed in a large men’s dorm. They told me to go straight to the dining hall where dinner was being served.
My dinner: chicken stew, SpaghettiOs. greens, lemon meringue pie
After dinner we had a chapel service. Then there was a signup for a shower and fresh change of clothes. I was dead tired and didn’t understand the signup process, so I didn’t get a shower, but that’s okay.
They had big screen TVs with NBA basketball on, but the only thing I cared about was finding my bed and getting in it. I wondered if I’d have difficulty falling asleep with all those other men around, but it turned out not to be a problem. I slept like a rock.
They woke us at 6 in the morning for breakfast. I’m not a big breakfast person so I just had a donut. They had breakfast burritos as well
I was very impressed with the Mission. No man has to go hungry, sleepy, unclothed thanks to them.
Since it was my first time, they gave me the night for free. Normally it is free if you check in before 2 pm and $6 if you check in 2-7 pm
I’m going back today before 2.
Excited to discover this valuable resource
I miss my MacBook though.
Readers’ generosity helps keep this blog afloat. Donations: Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
The Tigers won a game!!! After trailing Wichita State for most of Saturday’s contest, Memphis took command and held on for the 65-63 win.
Let’s have a look at Memphis basketball this week:
Sunday, February 4: Memphis Grizzlies away at Boston Celtics, 5:00 PM. TV: Bally Sports
Tuesday, February 6: Memphis Grizzlies away at NY Knicks, 6:30 PM. TV: Bally Sports
Thursday, February 8: Memphis Tigers away at Temple, 6:00 PM. Lunar New Year celebration. TV: ESPN2
Thursday, February 8: Memphis Tigers at home vs. Chicago Bulls, 7:00 PM. TV: Bally Sports.
Saturday, February 10: Memphis Tigers away at Charlotte Hornets, 6:00 PM. TV: Bally Sports
Sunday, February 11: Memphis Tigers at home vs. Tulane, 1:00 PM. TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU
A pro-Palestine rally shut down the I-40 bridge for several hours yesterday evening.
The DM has photos of the Lunar New Year bar crawl last night in South Main. The folks at Good Fortune Co. organized the crawl. The crawl actually lasts all month and participants can get a T-shirt for finishing.
I walked back to the Downtown core from Momma’s, “the diner & dive off 55,” at 3 this morning in the pouring rain. Next time I go, I wanna try their cheese curds. I’m really warming up to Momma’s as a weekend spot. It’s far enough removed that it doesn’t get the riff-raff some bars in the Downtown core get.
That rain was COLD though. I need an electric blanket. Still shivering hours later, probably because my clothes are still wet. Back tomorrow with more news.
Readers’ generosity helps keep this blog afloat. Donations:
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has updated his Bracketology for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. For the Memphis Tigers, owners of four straight losses, the news is about what was expected:
Memphis has dropped to the “Last Four In” line
They’re projected to play Seton Hall in the First Four for an 11 seed
Winner of that game is projected to play 6 San Diego State in the first round
Boujee Bistro in the Lincoln-American Tower will have its grand reopening Sunday from 11 to 5. The bistro will be under new management. There will be a new soul food menu and live entertainment.
Trivia returns to The Brass Door Wednesday evening, February 7.
Recently, I’ve heard a lot of good things about the food at Memphis Chess Club. Friday I decided to walk down there and taste for myself.
The chess club is on the ground floor of the Press Box Lofts on Madison, half a block east of B.B. King. You can become a member and play chess, both pickup games and tournaments. As a member, you can attend live, in-person lessons as well as access the club’s extensive library.
For non-chess purposes, though, you don’t need to be a member. Anyone can order from the club’s cafe, and you should make your order a pizza. They have about 7 gourmet pizzas, each named for a chess master. I got the Carlsen, named for Norwegian chess star Magnus Carlsen.
The Carlsen is a thin-crust white pizza with two types of cheeses: mozzarella and Gruyere. They hooked it up with the gooey, chewy cheese – this pizza had more cheese than any “extra cheese” pizza I’ve ever ordered. Atop the cheese lay a generous helping of sausage as well as red onions and mushrooms.
The pizzas were available in 8-, 12-, and 18-inch sizes. I ordered the 12, concerned that I might finish the 8 still hungry.
The verdict: One of the most delicious pizzas in town! The white sauce was a hit and the crust was firm and crunchy. 10/10 would get again!
The 12-inch was way more than I could handle, though. I shoulda got the 8. I ended up leaving half the pizza in a box, gently perched on a trash can on Main Street for one of our homeless friends to find.
Can’t wait to explore more of the menu. Don’t overlook this place!
It’s February, and you know what that means… it’s time for the Flying Saucer to unveil its Valentine’s Day glass. Glass Nights happen Wednesdays at 7. This year Valentine’s Day is on a Wednesday, and Saucer management has wisely figured out that a lot of people will have other plans that evening. So Glass Night will be the Wednesday before, February 7 at 7 PM.
Can you guess who will be on the 2024 V-Day glass?
I hear a collective groan from some of you. Yeah, they’re a bit overexposed. I think they’re a cute couple though. Maybe I’m getting sentimental as I get older.
You can now get the creations of Chef Eli Townsend on DoorDash. Dos Hermanos Kitchen joined the app earlier this week.
The Cossitt Library will present a History of Soul Food on Thursday, February 22 from 6 to 8 PM. The discussion will take a look at how soul food, with roots in Africa, has impacted Southern cuisine.
It’s Tater Tot Day. The Hibernation Tots at Blind Bear would be my recommendation to celebrate. They’re topped with ground beef, cheese sauce, bacon, jalapenos, tomatoes, and ranch.
Old Dominick will hold an exclusive tasting + VIP experience today. BIG Bourbon Club will host a tour, tasting, and Meet & Greet with Master Distiller Alex Castle.
Rumba Room has an open house from noon to 12:30 PM Saturday. The flyer for the event reads, “Ladies styling for salsa & bachata.” Luisana Perozo will be your host.
Did you know that King’s Palace Cafe on Beale has a Gospel Brunch every Sunday? Talented groups from around the city perform every week. The doors open at 11 AM, and no reservations are accepted; it’s first-come, first-served.
The Memphis Tigers host Wichita State at noon Saturday at FedExForum. The Tigers will have the opportunity to lose their 5th straight in front of a national TV audience, as the game will be on CBS.
The Grizzlies host Golden State tonight at 7. Get there early to be one of the first 5000 and score that SWEET Desmond Bane mini-hoop.
Grind City Media’s Jessica Benson put the NBA on blast for not selecting Grizzlies starter Vince Williams Jr. to the sophomore team in the Rising Stars Game.
Mack Weaver is Memphis in May’s new president and CEO. Weaver has been with the company 25 years, recently as CFO and EVP.
Soup Sunday returns to The Kent on Sunday, February 18.
Ben Yay’s has added a second murder mystery masquerade dinner on Sunday after Saturday’s sold out.
Plant Based Heat is featured in the DM’s $10 Deal this week. The vegan restaurant opened a new location at 363 S. Front in December.
ESPN’s Woj reports that the Grizzlies are trading injured center Steven Adams to Houston for Victor Oladipo and three second-round draft picks.
Downtown’s Sheraton Hotel is for sale, the MBJ reports.
Dinstuhl’s at Main and Peabody Place will have strawberries beginning February 11 and you can pre-order yours now.
