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Today I made the walk to Lunchbox Eats, the school lunch-themed restaurant that just opened at 288 S. Fourth just south of Linden.  I ran into two of my friends there, who happened to arrive just as I did, so we all sat together.  The entire menu looked good, but all three of us arrived at the same order… the 3rd Period Smoking Birds sandwich, pictured above.  It’s turkey, chicken and duck along with their veggie slaw, stacked on two slices of buttery 7 grain whole wheat bread.  It’s served with Tri-Bird Pan Liquor and your choice of BBQ sauce or green tomato relish.  The sandwich was out of this world.  I’m glad they brought extra napkins because this thing is as messy as any BBQ sandwich.  Which is not a bad thing – messy usually equals good when it comes to dining in Memphis.

They told me that their Graduation Burger is also popular, and reading the menu I can see why.  It’s a juicy cut of meatloaf, tunneled with pepper cheese, topped with mashed potatoes, tomato gravy and crispy tobacco onions on white bread.  That will be my next meal there, although since I work in Horn Lake, who knows when my next meal there will be.  It’s open Monday-Friday 10-3.

So, I came in third, tied for third actually, in the Best Blog category of the Memphis Flyer’s 2010 Best of Memphis poll.  I’ve had a few people ask I’m disappointed about it.  Maybe a little, but overall I think it’s a very, very good thing for Memphis.  In 2010, a vibrant, thriving city needs to have many good local blogs writing about it.  We haven’t always had that.  In 2008, when I won, I was happy I won, but I thought, “there really need to be others…”  Now we’ve got them.  Some are new.  Others have been around for a while, and are finally getting some much-deserved recognition.

As I mentioned yesterday, Kerry Crawford’s I Love Memphis Blog is a pleasure to read.  She truly does love the city and is the perfect person to be promoting it.  I have learned about many things going on around town from her blog.  And, if you meet her in person, she is sooooo nice.  She could not have deserved her first-place win more.

I didn’t discover the Eat Local Memphis blog until relatively recently, but I can see why people enjoy it.  I’ve already picked up a lunch recommendation from the blog – Lunchbox Eats, where I will probably go today or tomorrow.  Well written, laid out well, lots of photos of the food.  If you want to step beyond the Chili’s and the Applebee’s of the world, this blog will tell you where to get some delicious food prepared by people who are part of the fabric of the city.

On the other hand, I’ve been reading Dining with Monkeys for years.  I actually went to college with Stacey, and met her when I had a paper-typing service.  I’d type papers for $1 a page on my Macintosh SE with 9-inch black and white screen, and print them out on my Apple ImageWriter dot matrix printer.  If it was a really important paper, I’d put the paper on disk and go to the computer lab to print it out on the LaserWriter, with its stunning 300 dpi resolution.  Ah, those were the days.  But anyway, Stacey was a good writer even then.  I really enjoy her restaurant reviews, and even if you don’t have kids (or “monkeys” as she calls them), there’s a lot to be learned about Memphis restaurants from reading her blog.

It’s a very, very good thing that these blogs have gotten as popular as they are.  They dispel the myth that there’s nothing to do in Memphis.  People will read all there is to do (and eat) and get out more and start enjoying Memphis, and saying good things about it, creating a positive snowball effect.  People from out of town will read these blogs and want to visit, or even relocate here.  Disappointed that I didn’t win?  Like I said, a little, but overall, I am thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as these bloggers, and thrilled that I’m one of the people spreading the good word about Memphis.

I will say that I’m proud of one thing I’ve done on this blog though – even though it got popular and became a source of information about Downtown Memphis, it never stopped being my personal blog.  I never stopped voicing my opinions and doing things my way.  I had to deal with people saying I hate the homeless because of my anti-panhandling posts, even though I’ve said repeatedly I’m not after the homeless but rather the scam artists who operate Downtown.  I’ve had to deal with people who think Tube Top Month is not politically correct.  Then there are the people who got their panties in a wad over my references to “Brick.”  But you know what?  I don’t care.  I’m going to do the thing these people dread the most – I’m going to keep on being me.  I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me and got me to the top three.  I write this blog for you and I appreciate your readership and your support.  I intend to keep writing for you in the year ahead.

Commentary on the other categories still to come.

I think I’m going to swear off liquor altogether.  Not all alcohol, mind you – beer will still be on the agenda for sure – but lately liquor has not led to good things.

With a party to attend and a vacation day today, my plan was to have a blast at the Memphis Flyer party, then come back Downtown and hang out at the Saucer until close, and then try to carry on at either Bardog or the Silly Goose.  Didn’t happen.

The plans changed at the Flyer party, when Air Traffic Mike and I decided to do Fireball shots with the Bardog winners.  A few minutes later, another Fireball shot arrived.  Followed by another one 40 minutes or so later.  By the time I made it back Downtown to Bardog and then the Saucer, I was wobbly.  Only made it a little past midnight.

The food at the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis party was superb.  I actually had to pick and choose and not load up at the first food station I went to, because there’s only so much room on a plate.  Pizza from Memphis Pizza Cafe was an obvious selection, as were BBQ nachos from Central BBQ.  And the sushi!!!  All three sushi winners – Sekisui, Blue Fin, and Sekisui Pacific Rim – catered the event, and the sushi was just amazing.  Sushi covered a good portion of the real estate on my plate.

It was also good seeing the new Playhouse on the Square.  Tip for those who haven’t been there – there’s a bar at the back of the first floor that is very very comfortable.  It kinda feels like “Cheers.”  The stage and seating area is a big improvement over the old space.  The new theater is very well done.

And yet, I kinda didn’t like it as a venue for the Flyer party.  Previous parties have tended to be in big, open spaces, like last year’s at Minglewood Hall, with food stations and bars along the walls.  I think those venues work better for this kind of party than Playhouse.  And WTF was up with “business casual attire” on the invitations?  A dress code at a Flyer party makes about as much sense as my BBQ team throwing a potluck and saying “vegetarian dishes only please.”  Dress code or not, I wore jeans.

All right… trying to clear the cobwebs out of my head and get the day started.  I may make some changes to the layout of my blog today and get rid of some of the sidebars I haven’t updated in a while.  Also need to get back in touch with someone who claims they can serve up relevant ads on my blog.  I don’t mind ads on here if they are indeed relevant – for example, Groupon is relevant because restaurant deals are something my readers would be interested in.  Car insurance is not relevant.  I may give it a shot, but if I don’t like it I won’t hesitate to take it down.

Also going to go through the list of Best of Memphis winners, and will post comments about the poll.  Check back – I’m not confined to a schedule and a cubicle today, so there will be more posts!

“Well, if I lose this year, I hope it’s to Kerry.”

That was my thought as I completed my Memphis Flyer Best of Memphis ballot a couple of months ago. A lot of Memphians think it’s “cool” to bash their own city. I’ve always thought, for us to take the place we deserve as a first-class place to live, we’ve got to stop doing that, and start talking about all the wonderful things Memphis offers. Kerry Crawford’s I Love Memphis Blog does just that. Every day she offers up evidence that this is a vibrant, diverse community with tons of things to do. She’s one of the rare people who has managed to turn her passion into a job. It’s great that she won and I heartily congratulate her. Congrats to her on winning Best Twitterer too. If you’re not following her at @ilovememphis, you’re missing out!

The important thing for me is not so much winning, but making the top three so I get invited to the annual Best of Memphis party the Flyer throws, which is one of the best events of the year. The restaurant winners in the poll do the catering, and guests walk from station to station to sample the best food in town. And, of course, there’s beer, which I like. I’ll be rolling out there with Air Traffic Mike about 6:00. The party will continue once I get back Downtown, because I’m taking the rest of the week off!

Okay, let’s get on to the news.

MPACT Memphis has a very cool event coming up next Tuesday, September 28. It’s one of their “Happy Hours with a Twist,” and they’re partnering with Team-Up Grizzlies Mentoring to present opportunities to mentor in the Memphis community. Nonprofits including Youth Villages, Memphis Prep, Girls Inc., and Families of Incarcerated Individuals will speak. Oh and I guess you might be interested to know that there’s an OPEN BAR for members from 6-8 ($5 nonmembers). There will also be free snacks all night long. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up. The event will be in the beautiful lobby of the Westin Hotel.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting is also on the 28th, and it sounds like a good program: The Watoto Memphis Dancers will perform, and Donald O’Conner of Watoto will speak about how the organization is getting kids excited about music, dance and their heritage. The other speaker will be Paul Morris, president of the CCC. Meeting will be in the Folklore Hall of the Center for Southern Folklore, and Circa will provide light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Look for free Budweiser when you go out in the next week. Bud is launching its largest ever free-beer campaign to attempt to freshen its image. Bud’s not my favorite beer, but if it’s free, heck yeah I’ll drink it. More info here.

It’s Oktoberfest stein night for “Buy the Beer, Keep the Glass” night at the Flying Saucer. I saw a preview yesterday and it’s one of their best offerings in a while. If you want a beer stein, stop by at 7:00 and buy one.

This is pretty much all I’m doing in my lunch break today… given the food situation at tonight’s party, I want to show up with an empty stomach. Everyone have a good afternoon, and congrats to all the Best of Memphis winners! As soon as I see an issue, I’ll comment further on this year’s BOM poll.

The Memphis Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blogger recently made a visit to Lunchbox Eats at Fourth and Linden. That 3rd Period Smoking Birds sandwich, made with turkey, duck and chicken, looks really good… it’s a turducken on bread! I know where I’m going for lunch either Thursday or Friday when I’m on vacation.

Lunchbox Eats was also featured on Kerry’s I Love Memphis blog yesterday. She had the chicken and waffle sandwich.

You know, Lunchbox Eats has only been open a short while, but it seems to be the latest restaurant in Memphis that everyone is talking about on social media. YoLo and Muddy’s Bake Shop are other restaurants that have benefited from the viral effect online. I guess the same could be said for the Midtown Chik-Fil-a when it opened. Glad to see it happening to Lunchbox Eats, as the previously dormant South of Forum neighborhood begins to awaken…

It may not seem like we’re approaching the end of September, as temperatures continue to hover around 100, but Friday is the last Friday of the month, and that means it will be Trolley Night on South Main. This month, area businesses are forming a Food Chain on South Main.

Support the Mid-South Food Bank by bringing a bag of non-perishable food products or a monetary donation to be dropped off at one of the South Main merchants participating in the Food Chain. There will also be artwork on display at area merchants, which will be auctioned off in a silent auction with proceeds going to the Food Bank. There will also be entertainment by the students of the Visible School in Founder’s Park. I must admit I don’t have a clue where Founder’s Park is. I guess I need to find out before Friday.

Couple of news links from Action News 5: Marley’s is almost ready to open in the former Plush Club space at 380 Beale. It will be a family restaurant with Caribbean fare, and Caribbean bands on the weekends. Downtowners: Please support this business! This is our chance to put the era of the Plush Club behind us for good.

Also from Action News 5: Ground Zero got evicted from its space on Beale Street. Sounds like all the partners weren’t on the same page and somehow the rent didn’t get paid. Hopefully they’ll figure things out and re-open.

The Lowenstein Building is about to have a tenant on its ground floor. ServiceMaster by Stratos, a janitorial company that, among other facilities, keeps the FedExForum clean, is moving in. That corner has been vacant for a long time and it is GREAT to hear it will be occupied again! Recession or not, Downtown is booming.

Lunchtime, and I’m thinking about giving Maria’s a second try… just checked Foursquare, and I don’t see any douche checked in, so off I go!

Woot.com is putting various items on sale throughout the day.  Reload their page frequently to see if there’s anything you want, and if you see “Random Crap” (or “Bag of Crap” as it’s commonly referred to), buy immediately.

I’m in a better mood today than on most Mondays… because for me, it’s a Wednesday. It will be a three day week for me, as I’m taking Thursday and Friday off. No particular reason, just wanted a long weekend in the late fall, and I have the vacation time, so why not?

The 7th Annual Garage Band Reunion will happen this Saturday, September 25, at The Warehouse on GE Patterson. Performers will include Memphis garage bands from the ’60s and ’70s such as Pat and Susanne Jerome Taylor, Interstate 55, the Reflections, Eddie Harrison and the ShortKuts, Down to Five and special guests Larry Raspberry and David “Flash” Fleischman, and Willie Mitchell will be honored for his contributions to the Memphis music scene. Proceeds will benefit Alzheimer’s Day Services, a nonprofit that provides stimulating activities and programs for those with Alzheimer’s. Tickets are $50; call Katie at 372-4585 for tickets or more information.

Victorian Village, the neighborhood full of beautiful 1800s mansions on Adams and Jefferson east of Danny Thomas, will have a “Homecoming” on Saturday, October 2. There will be a 5K starting at 9 AM, an antique auto show, a picnic lunch, speeches by Mayor Wharton and dignitaries, and tours of the historic homes and Juvenile Court. There will also be entertainment by Di Anne Price and Her Boyfriends, the Collins Chapel Choir, and the Wildflowers Bluegrass Band.

Congrats to Arkansas QB Ryan Mallet on being named SEC Offensive Player of the Week! The big game vs. Alabama is coming up this Saturday at 2:30. You know, although I’ll be rooting for the Hogs, I have a lot of respect for Bama fans. They tend to conduct themselves with a lot of class. Bear Bryant instilled it in them, I guess. Happy to be playing against them.

That’s all for now… going to grab a quick lunch before a 2:00 meeting. Pint Nite tonight, of course.

If you’re looking for something to do Downtown tonight, I’ve got a recommendation.  Jeffrey and the Pacemakers perform tonight at Downtown Huey’s from 8:30 to midnight.  This is the band that I’ve mentioned on this blog several times before, playing authentic ’60s British Invasion music – Beatles, Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, Animals, Yardbirds, etc.  Not only do they know the music, but they also have the gear – Rickenbacker guitars, Vox amps, Ludwig drums.  They sound great and they love to interact with their audience.

They played Downtown Huey’s once before, but I had conflicting plans and couldn’t make it.  I watched Huey’s website and saw them play the other locations time after time and wondered if they’d ever make it back Downtown.  Well, tonight’s the night.  I will be there and will try to hang on until midnight to catch their entire show.

Home from Cooper-Young Fest, and it was great this year as always.  One thing I learned though – Cooper-Young Fest when it’s in the 90s is totally different from C-Y Fest when it’s 78 degrees outside.  Man was I hot.

I left about 10:30 and walked to the Peabody, figuring there’d be a cab in their back lot.  Nope.  “Oh well,” I thought, “surely they’ll be a cab at Second and Beale.”  Nope again.  Nor at Third and Beale.  All my cab hotspots were failing me!  I mentioned this to a cop who was parked at Third and Beale, and he gave me a tip that he’d seen one outside the Westin about 10 minutes before.  I walked down there, found the cab, and I was on my way!

First order of business was buying a ticket to the Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest on October 9.  I found the CYCA booth and Andy got me all signed up and even gave me a Cooper-Young frisbee.  He told me that there are going to be some beers at the festival that are simply not seen in the Memphis area.  They’re only selling 400 tickets, and as of about 11 AM they were nearing the 200 mark.  If you want to attend this beer festival, you better get your ticket soon (click the link to order).  I really have a good feeling that this is going to be one of the best beer fests of the year.

Actually, the festival ticket was my second order of business – first was buying a PBR!  I found a stand outside Soul Fish that had 12 oz. cans for $3.  Later I learned that Sweetgrass had 16 oz. cans of PBR for $3, and started going there.  Actually, though, regular blog reader Susie found the best deal – she was drinking a 32 oz. bag’o’beer that she bought at the convenience store at Cooper and Elzey.  Way to keep it classy there, Susie.  Maybe you can come Downtown and drink a bag’o’beer with June Bug in Court Square.  Oh, wait, June Bug is in jail for probation violations, never mind.

I checked into Foursquare as soon as I got there, and there were already 16 people.  I kept an eye on it.  About 12:15 the festival was up to 50 people.  I checked my badges and sure enough… there was the Swarm badge!  I finally got it!  A few minutes later I saw on Twitter that a bunch of people I knew were simultaneously awarded the badge.

There were “spin the wheel, get free stuff” games at Southland Greyhound Park’s booth, the CA’s booth, and Lenny’s booth.  I didn’t see the Nuh-Uh Girl, but she did check in there and I’m sure she sniffed out all the free stuff like a bloodhound.

There was a “get your face painted like a drag queen” booth.  If the people running that booth are reading this, I would LOVE for you to take your booth to the Germantown Festival next year.  That would be hilarious, and I’d actually have a reason to want to go to Germantown Fest.  The same booth also had a “dunk a lesbian” booth.  As a friend of mine said, “If you’re not accepting of gays, Cooper-Young Fest is really not the place for you.”  Very true.  I’m straight but still think it’s a shame that the rest of the city isn’t as accepting of LGBT as the folks who attend Cooper-Young.

I ate twice while I was there.  First stop was Catfish Cabin, which had a booth there for the first time.  I used to work right down the street from them on Airways but never went there.  I decided to give them a try.  I had the fish kabobs (catfish and grilled onions on a stick) and it was quite good.  Later in the day, I had a beef and lamb Athenian gyro.  Gotta have a gyro every year.

The number of phones at C-Y Fest must have overwhelmed AT&T’s network… for about two hours mid-afternoon I couldn’t get Facebook or Twitter to update.  Which was a shame, because Ole Miss lost to Vandy at home and I really would have loved to have been on the social networks talking trash.  Also, congratulations to my Hogs on their touchdown with 14 seconds left to beat Georgia.  Thanks to the folks who texted me the score of the game.

As I started on my fifth PBR I noticed a brunette in a white tank top and jeans walking up Cooper about 20 feet in front of me.  “I’m really enjoying watching her walk,” I thought.  After about a block, she turned around and I realized – it was Brick!  I snapped this pic of her.

Heat and dehydration really caught up to me.  About 3:00 I ran into a group of my friends, and walked a loop around the festival with them while downing my sixth PBR.  “You know, it should probably concern me that I’m on my sixth beer and I haven’t had to use the restroom yet,” I commented to them.  An hour later, they went to a party down the street, and I decided it was time to hydrate.  I bought a 32 oz. orangeade and drank it, followed by a 32 oz. lemonade.  Still felt overheated, and more beer was not an option.  I walked to the Mapco at Cooper and Central and bought a Mountain Dew Throwback.  I followed that up with a cherry snow cone and finally felt normal again.  Still didn’t feel like starting on the beer again though.

One thing I forgot to do this year was mention my “festival rule,” which led some people to wonder where I was.  The festival rule is as follows:  When there’s a big outdoor street festival going on, I tend to want to be at the festival, not at side parties near the festival.  When Cooper-Young Fest is going on I remain at the festival all day.  When Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest is going on, I want to be down on the street in the crowd, not on a rooftop looking at the crowd.  When RiverArtsFest is going on, I want to be outside looking at the artwork, not sitting in Calhoun’s all day watching football.  Failure to make the festival rule clear cost me an opportunity to snap a tube top pic.  Dammit!

I said I was going to stay until 7, but about 5:45 I was getting hot and cranky enough that I knew it was time to go.  I was actually stupid enough to think I could walk home.  I have walked home from the Cooper-Young neighborhood before, but not after being on my feet for 8 hours, and not in 90+ degree temperatures.  I made it to Union and McLean and realized I needed to revise my plan.  I’d seen five Yellow Cabs (577-7777) and no Advantage Cabs (323-3333) as I walked up McLean, so I called Yellow Cab.  The dispatcher told me I’d get a call when the cab was on its way, and I thought, great, I’ll probably be loitering outside Walgreens for 40 minutes.  However, a cab arrived in less than 5, and I was happy to be on my way home.

One of my friends didn’t attend because of all the strollers.  I agree, they REALLY get in the way, and twice I had a front stroller wheel run over the back of my sandals.  I don’t think they can be banned though.  Cooper-Young is too kid-friendly a festival to attempt that.

So now I’m home catching up on Facebook, and I see that my friends at Squeal Street BBQ picked up four trophies at the Smokin’ Aces Regional BBQ Cooking Contest in Tunica.  I hope my friend Stevie G won’t mind that I stole this pic from his Facebook page, but here are the team and the trophies:

Congratulations to Squeal Street.  They’ll add these to their trophy case, already filled with a 4th place Patio Porker trophy from BBQ Fest.  In less than a year they’ve become a force to be reckoned with on the BBQ circuit.

(Updated: Just learned what trophies they won.  Second in wings, and fourth in mustard, beef and poultry.)

I was hoping a day in the sun would help fade my hair back more toward its old color – it did a little, but you know what?  I forgot to put on sunscreen.  Sunburned now.  At least I don’t turn bright orange like Bruce Pearl and Meghan.

I have the air on 65 and am drinking a Mountain Dew and feel myself coming back to life.  Time to go out in a little while.  David the Worm is opening for DJ Trashy at Rehab, but my legs are not in the shape for dancing after such a long day.  I may have to wait until Worm’s next show to catch up with him.  I do need to stop by the Saucer to defend my mayorship, and perhaps by Bardog as well to regain my mayorship from the Nuh-Uh Girl.  I’m sure Squeal Street will be celebrating at Calhoun’s after they load out.  Would like to go down there and party with them, although that much walking really doesn’t sound too good right now.

My legs will be sore tomorrow.  But tonight, we party.

The Eat Local Memphis blog had a post yesterday about Lunchbox Eats, a new lunch-only restaurant at 288 S. Fourth, just south of Linden near the FedExForum.  They have a variety of sandwiches and sides based on a school lunch theme, but the food sounds a lot better than what you’d find in a school cafeterial.

The post has a phoro of a “3rd Period Smoking Birds” sandwich, with turkey, duck and veggie slaw.  There’s also a pic of the “Homeroom Chicken & Grids” sandwich, made with chicken and waffles.  Check out the post for a complete review of Lunchbox Eats and a link to their menu.