Category: Uncategorized

Next American City is holding an URBANEXUS salon tonight at Stax Museum (926 E. McLemore).  This will be a discussion of civic engagement in moving Memphis forward, and what various organizations around town are doing to accomplish this.  Presenters will use 4 slides per minute for 4 minutes to illustrate what’s going on with their organizations.  Presenters include

• Eric Matthews, Launch Memphis
• Dr. Charlie Santo, Coalition for Livable Communities
• Tim Sampson, Stax Museum
• John Weeden, UrbanArt
• Cardell Orrin, New Path
• Derwin Sisnett, Power Center CDC
• Gwyn Fisher, MPACT Memphis

Audience Q&A and reception will follow the presentations.  Event starts at 6 PM.  Good chance to learn about the positive things going on in Memphis, and learn about ways you can be an active citizen.

There was an article in the paper yesterday about Paula & Raiford’s Disco, set to open April 3.  Says the new club will be 4 times the size of the old one – NICE!  While it will resemble the old Hollywood Raiford’s, it will have Paula’s unique decorative touches.  Can’t wait to see the place.

Calhoun’s will open early for the NCAA tournament this week, and they have the March Madness package.  After sunset their 120″ projection HDTV will be tuned to the games on the back deck.  They are also the latest bar to get into the crawfish boiling business – they’ll do boils every Sunday at 6 PM for $4.50 a pound.

Orleans on Front will have crawfish every Thursday (that’s tonight!) in addition to the boils they have on some Sundays.  Don’t forget about their $4 happy hour!

I was downstairs in their Voodoo Room last night, where they were showing a Led Zeppelin concert on TV.  It looked like it was their 1975 tour and was just amazing.  They played songs I’d never seen on concert video before – “In My Time of Dying,” “Trampled Under Foot,” “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,” and a few others, and of course “Stairway.”  Jimmy Page was just amazing.  It was amazing how much he improvised during the songs, and yet it all sounded like perfection.  I gotta start collecting Zep concert DVDs.  My only complaint is that Bonham wasn’t featured more.  They cut to him occasionally, but he looked like just another drummer.  The video didn’t give him the credit he deserved.  Page and Plant were clearly the stars.  I think I saw shots of John Paul Jones maybe twice in the hour of footage they showed.

Sitting at the Saucer watching the Tigers vs. Cal State-Northridge game.  The Tigers apparently left their “D” back in Memphis and are down by 1 as I type this, with 12 minutes left in the first half.  Hope they turn it around.  Haven’t watched a game here in a while.  There are a lot of different bars Downtown that show the tournament games, but the Saucer is home.  Not sure where I’ll go to watch Saturday’s game (assuming we put CS Northridge away), but I definitely plan on watching the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight at the Saucer, because there will be a lot of people around for the tournament games held here.

Go Tigers!  Gonna try and build a website while I watch the game.  Tigers have turned it around and are up by 4 now.

Normally I stay out of the Downtown Neighborhood Association’s business, because I haven’t been active in that organization for several years.  However, several DNA members have contacted me, asking me to blog about this issue, and I feel compelled to do so.

The DNA’s monthly meeting is tonight at Pearl’s Oyster House (Main at Pontotoc; social at 6:30, program at 7).  They will take a very important vote on whether to expand the boundaries of DNA.  Current president Cathy Simmons and past president Tommy Volnichak want to expand the association’s boundaries to include the Medical Center district, and even past it, all the way to Watkins in some places.  Many members are opposed to this.  No one considers the area around Watkins to be part of Downtown.  Members feel that expanding to include those neighborhoods will dilute DNA’s focus.

Also, the neighborhoods did not ask to be included in the DNA’s boundaries.  If they had, it might be a different matter.  Rather, it was presented to the DNA board as a fait accompli by the president and past president.

If you’re a DNA member, tonight at Pearl’s is your one chance to stop this expansion.  It’s possible that some expansion of the boundaries needs to be done, but members tell me it needs to be carefully studied and planned, which apparently is not the case here.

That’s the morning post… got more stuff to talk about, but I want this to stay at the top of the blog for a couple of hours.  Tigers play at 11:25 AM.  I will probably take the laptop to the Saucer and watch the game there.

Time for my weekly flip through the pages of the Memphis Flyer, where I spotlight stuff of interest to Downtowners.

p. 4 and p. 38:  I have two Downtown lunch days remaining before I start the new job.  Trying to decide if I should spend one of them at Calvary’s Lenten Waffle Shop.  The food sounds fantastic.  Writer Stacey Greenberg recommends a waffle topped with peppermint ice cream, and that sure sounds like a winner.  Also sounds like a good place to mingle with other Downtowners.  How does it work though?  I see they have a lunchtime preaching series.  Do they preach at you while you eat?  I’m not much of a churchgoer, although years ago when I was, I was an Episcopalian, which is Calvary’s denomination.

p.9:  Article about renovations at the National Civil Rights Museum.  Several design firms are offering proposals.  You can view them here.

p. 12:  Homes are available in Uptown Memphis.  Great place to live, and they’re “green” homes so you save on utility bills.  The one pictured lists for $99,900 – not a bad price for a starter home for a family that wants to be near Downtown.  Visit UptownMemphisHomes.com to see what they’ve got.

p. 31:  Bardog is “quickly becoming your March hoops mania headquarters.”  I haven’t watched any Tiger games there, but I’ve heard that Aldo has started putting the sound on for some of the games.  Good move.  You can turn the sound on for games without risking being labeled a “sports bar.”  I’ve been leaning toward the Silly Goose and the Flying Saucer as my NCAA watch locations of choice, but maybe I’ll give Bardog a chance too.  I always have a good time there.

I also see they’ll be starting their weekend brunch in mid-April.  Hmmm looks like I’ll have another new place to try.

p. 32:  Nope, absolutely nothing worth mentioning on this page.

p. 33:  The Red Rooster is doing “March Basketball Craziness.”  Half off all pizzas and $2 drafts before, during, and after all games.  Wonder if they really mean ALL games, or just Tiger games?  If you missed the Sunday crawfish boil at Orleans (or if you were there and want more), you can do the Friday one at the Rooster, 6-9 PM.

p. 41:  The Saucer will tap a cask of Ghost River Wee Heavy Friday night.  Time not listed but it’s usually 7 PM.  Brewer Chuck Skypeck will be on hand.  Hmmm interesting… the article also says that all Ghost River beers will be $2.75 on Thursday nights from now on.  I like it!

p. 46:  Automatic Slim’s is hiring cooks and waitstaff.  If you’re a cook, this is an opportunity to work for one of the best chefs in town, Michael Patrick.  He would be a great person to learn from.

Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar at Main and Monroe, in the old Stella location, is hiring too.  I suspect that would be a pretty fun place to work, and when your shift ends Bardog is right down the street for an after-work cocktail.

In other news – get your Coach Cal mask here.  Thanks to Midtown blogger Ryan Jones for the link.

Off to the Saucer to drink Happy Hour beer and play the Window Game.  Beautiful 74 degree day – perfect for sitting in the window and watching the world go by.

Got a couple of e-mails about my advice post to a couple staying in West Memphis.  One said that he rode a cab to West Memphis once, and the fare was a hefty $35 one way!  Ouch!  Didn’t realize it was that much.

He and anoher reader who responded recommended MATA’s 78 bus, which runs from West Memphis to the North End Terminal.  Here’s the route map.

President Obama, a huge basketball fan, has revealed his picks for the Final Four:  Louisville, Pitt, Memphis, and North Carolina.  Further proof that the president is a very smart man.  A computer model also picks Memphis to reach the Final Four.

The Lowenstein Building at Main and Jefferson has its grand reopening today.  Here’s an article about it in the CA. The building has been vacant since Rhodes-Jennings Furniture left in 1980, and it narrowly survived demolition in the 1990s.

That’s all for now.  Recovering from St. Pat’s.

I got the e-mail below from someone who plans to visit Memphis in the near future.  I thought the answers to his questions might be useful to others, so I’m going to answer them here.

Due to cost we’ve decided to stay over the bridge in West Memphis.  What parking garages do you recommend when we come Downtown?

Park in a garage that has an attendant 24 hours.  Parking Can Be Fun, on Union between Front and Main, is a good one.  Also, the three Peabody Place garages are good too.  There’s one between Main and Second, next to the Flying Saucer; one between Second and Third, across from Peabody Place Mall; and one between Third and Fourth, next to Hooters.

I’ve heard stories about bums threatening to damage your car unless you pay them protection money.  Is this common?  I have Canadian plates, so it will be obvious we’re tourists.

I’m not saying this never happens, but I think it’s a lot less common than people talk about.  There are a lot of bums who will try to wave you into metered spaces or free parking on city streets, then try to charge you.  Some of them may even have parking credentials, which are most definitely fake.  Do not pay anyone to park along a city street, and call 545-COPS if they try to charge you.  However, if you refuse to pay them, I doubt they will try to damage your car, if you’ve parked along a well-lit, well-traveled street.  Most likely they’ll just move on and try to park another car.

Of course, you’ll want to remove everything valuable from your vehicle before you park (this is true even if you park in a garage).  Even small items like loose change, CDs, and sunglasses can get you a broken window.

If you’re concerned about the out-of-country plates, I’ll tell you a trick some of the locals use:  You may want to consider leaving your doors unlocked.  That defies common sense, but if they see your license plate, they may wonder what’s in the trunk and be willing to break into your car to find out.  Better that they open the door rather than break a window to get to the trunk release.  Again, this is much less of a problem if you park in an attended garage or on a well-lit, well-traveled street.

Or should I leave my car at the hotel and taxi around Memphis?  How much would a cab from Downtown to West Memphis be?

I’ve never taken a taxi to West Memphis but I’d estimate the fare at $10-15 one way.  A cab is not a bad idea – you won’t have to pay for parking and your car will be safe.  Plus, if you consume any alcohol while out in Memphis, you won’t have to worry about a DUI (Tennessee) or DWI (Arkansas) on the way home.

Your hotel should be able to call you a cab from West Memphis.

Once you’re Downtown, it’s easy to find cabs on Second across from the Peabody, at Second and Beale, and at Third and Beale.  If you don’t see them there call 323-3333 or 577-7777 to request one.

Is there a bus or similar transport from Memphis to West Memphis?

I don’t know of any kind of a public shuttle that runs between the two cities.  However, your hotel may have a shuttle service that will take you into Memphis, and give you a ride back upon request.  Ask about this when you check in.

Welcome to Memphis, by the way.  Despite the safety warnings above, Downtown is statistically the safest part of the city, and also the friendliest and most fun.  Look for the Blue Suede Brigade if you’re Downtown and have questions – these are the Center City Commission’s public ambassadors.  They wear white safari hats, white shirts, and when it’s cool, blue jackets.  They can answer any questions you have, and they can give you brochures, maps, and coupons.  Also, if you come Downtown, stop by Kooky Canuck and ask if owner Shawn is around – he always loves to meet fellow Canadians.

Hope that helps!

Hard Rock Cafe on Beale has two shows coming up in support of a great charity, Musicians on Call.  Musicians on Call brings live and recorded music to health care patients.  It uses music to support and promote the healing process.  Programs include bedside performances by musicians, donations of CD libraries to hospitals, and giving patients the chance to record their own live music.

The first show to benefit MoC is this Saturday, March 21.  National country artist Lee Brice will appear, along with local country acts Brad Kessler, The Dirt Brothers, and Bethilea.  $3 per guest, $5 per couple, and 100% of the door goes to Musicians on Call.

Then, two Fridays from now, on April 3, Art Alexakis, the lead singer of Everclear, will perform onstage at the Hard Rock, along with Memphis’ own Second Chances as the opener.  Alexakis is making his way through a tour of 17 Hard Rocks, and his final stop is Memphis.  $2 cover, FREE when you bring a friend.  Again, 100% of the door goes to Musicians on Call.

Of course, I’m sure if you wanted to donate more than the cover price to Musicians on Call at the door, they’d accept it.  Those are some of the lowest cover charges on Beale.  I met with the management of Hard Rock last month and was really impressed with their dedication to charity.  They truly want to give back to the Memphis community, not just take from it as some of the other property owners on Beale Street do.  Downtowners, if you’ve overlooked Hard Rock until this point (and I admit I have), it’s worth giving it a chance.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day!  Ladies, here’s a fashion suggestion for this evening:

A green tube top is always a good choice for St. Patrick’s Day.  It’s going to get into the 70s this afternoon, so it will be warm enough to wear them.  Tube Top Month is only 2 1/2 months away!

Of course, I know many people are skipping St. Pat’s parties to throw watch parties for the Alabama State vs. Morehead State play-in game for the NCAA tournament.  It’s on ESPN tonight at 6:30, and some experts are predicting that this will be the game of the season.  If you’ve never experienced the level of basketball played at the local Boys and Girls Club, turn on ESPN tonight, it’ll be about the same thing.  Can also be recorded to DVR and used later in the evening as a sleep aid.  Winner gets the honor of being decimated by Louisville in round one.

Captain Keith, the beer expert for the Flying Saucer chain, now has a blog.  After I take my “what’s the Fire Sale” walk I’ll update what the Irish food and beer specials are tonight at the Saucer.

Speaking of which, it’s time to take that walk now.  Outta here.

It’s a little after 3:30 AM.  I can’t sleep, so I’m posting while I play online poker.  Some seriously bad players on PokerStars tonight.  I’ve made about $35.  Drinking money for St. Pat’s.

Yesterday I went to the Majestic Grille to try one of the lunch specials they’re running all week for St. Patrick’s.  I went with the beef and mushroom pie, made with Murphy’s Stout.  Here’s a pic:

It was excellent.  Tasty and very filling.  They also have fish and chips and a Limerick ham sandwich all week.  I’ve heard the fish and chips are not to be missed, so I’ll likely be back at least once more this week.

They’re doing dinner specials all week long as well, to celebrate Patrick’s Irish upbringing.  Here’s what they’ve got:

• Filet Mignon with Jameson Whiskey Sauce, Colcannon Potatoes $29
• Grilled Lamb Chops, carrot & parsnip puree, apple jelly $28
• Crab Stuffed Trout, roasted and served with dill and lemon butter $23

Dinner specials are available 5 PM until close.  All three sound great but I’m going to say what I’ve said many times before – the Majestic has the best filet in Downtown Memphis, so that is my recommendation.  Mmmm… looks like I’m going to cash in a lot of my remaining Majestic gift cards this week.

Lunch today, however, will be the Silly Goose… $6 corned beef and cabbage.  I’ll be back there around 5:30ish for their St. Patrick’s party, with dollar jello shots, $2 wells, $5 car bombs.  There are also parties at the Flying Saucer, Calhoun’s, and Bardog Tavern… gonna play it by ear but will probably make it to at least one of those as well.

Dammit… just gave back $10 of my winnings.  I had AQ and the flop came down 26Q so I raised… one of my opponents had 26 and rode it for all it was worth.  That’s part of the game though.  Gonna hit Publish and pay a little more attention to my hands.  Coming later today:  Upcoming concerts at the Hard Rock to benefit a very cool charity.

Last night, I heard cheering outside all night long and wondered what was going on.  Looked out the window and saw a lot of people standing around the entrance to the Cadre Building at Second and Monroe, and there were TV trucks outside.  This morning, the Nuh-Uh Girl, my neighbor in my apartment building whose windows also face the Cadre, e-mailed and told me what was happening – they were conducting auditions for the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.”

I’ve mentioned before that Calhoun’s is having a contest through Wednesday where you get an NCAA bracket to fill out every time you buy a premium beer.  I asked if the contest would still run today, when it’s Monday Fun Day at Calhoun’s and their premium beers are half off ($2.50 rather than $5).  Looks like the answer is yes, so today would be a great day to get some entries at a bargain price.  Winning bracket gets a $100 bar tab.

Of course, you might want to wait until after 7 PM to head to Calhoun’s, so you can do dollar Depression-era cocktails at the Silly Goose from 5 to 7.  Sixteen cocktails and PBR for a dollar each, plus free tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  This is absolutely the best value of any promotion going on Downtown right now.  Here’s a pic of the menu – you can click on the pic to see it full size to see the list of cocktails.  You better believe this is where I will be at 5.

Big news for Mountain Dew lovers:  Yesterday I learned that a special version of Mountain Dew, called Mountain Dew Throwback, will hit the shelves in April.  Mountain Dew Throwback will be sweetened with real sugar, rather than high fructose corn syrup.  Sounds like a winner!  Wonder what my health guru will think about this.  There will be a Pepsi Throwback too.  Here’s a link with more information.

Over the past few days I’ve heard great things about the Sunday brunch at Sauces from several people.  “Incredible food, large portions” seems to be what I’ve heard.  Guess I’ll have to give it a try soon.

Some of us went to the crawfish boil at Orleans on Front yesterday.  Here are some pics:

Chef Clint and his assistant serve up the crawfish.

People waiting in line to buy boxes of crawfish and shrimp, along with the tables set up in the parking lot for eating.  Yes, Chad, we see you.  Attn guy in the lower left of this pic:  Nice hat.

Coach Calipari looks on as the guys eat.  We opted for the Voodoo Room rather than outside to eat our crawfish, because it was a little chilly and we wanted good seats for Selection Sunday.

Another view of the Voodoo Room.  Looks like the beer pong table saw some action yesterday.

Pretty good sized crowd considering the weather.  By 5 PM the Voodoo Room was pretty well packed.  Not sure about the upstairs or out in the parking lot.  If you missed it, there will be another crawfish boil March 29.

Then the grandaddy of them all – Porter-Leath’s Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest – happens on the river on Sunday, April 19, between Union and Beale.  They’re still selling tickets to their VIP Swamp tent.  If you’re a VIP, you don’t have to stand in line to buy crawfish or beer (crawfish lines can run 100 people deep at times), and there’s also shrimp, gumbo, soda, water, and other snacks.  You get a shaded tent in which to eat, and have access to your own porta-potty.  VIP tickets are $50 apiece, and you can call 901-577-2500 ext. 1100 to order.  Limited to 200 tickets.  This really isn’t a bad deal – if you eat crawfish and drink beer all afternoon long, your tab will likely be approaching $50 anyway, so might as well get the VIP and avoid the lines.

So Memphis is a #2 seed in the same bracket as UConn.  That’s fine.  Whether we’re a 1 or a 2, we can beat UConn.  First game for the Tigers is 11:25 AM Thursday.

Wow, the SEC didn’t get any team higher than an 8 seed this year.  Tennessee is a 9, and if they beat Oklahoma State in round 1, they will almost certainly get slaughtered by Pitt in round 2.  Looks like Bruchebag Pearl and his Vols will make an early exit from this year’s tournament.  Congrats to Mississippi State on its SEC tournament victory yesterday.

Memphis will play host to the South Regional Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds this year.  If the seedings hold up, that means we’ll see #1 UNC, #2 Oklahoma, #3 Villanova, and #4 Gonzaga here next weekend.

And that’s the news… time to enjoy my last week of freedom before the new job starts.  I’ll be at the Goose at 5, then probably Pint Nite down the street after the dollar cocktails end at 7.

News about the Flying Saucer’s St. Pat’s plans – trivia is canceled for Tuesday.  Instead, they plan on having a celebration with bagpipes, the Robert Johnson Band, Irish beer specials, and Irish food specials.  Not sure what the beer specials are, but in previous years they’ve tended to put Guinness on Fire Sale, and usually one or two more Irish beers.  Good chance to knock those off the UFO list.

Don’t forget that it’s $2 green beer day all day at Kooky Canuck.  That’s $2 thirty-four ounce green beer.  Plus $3 Guinness, $4 Jameson shots, $5 Irish car bombs.  Great food and great service at the bar too.  $100 cash to whomever is wearing the most green at 9 PM.

Gonna skip brunch entirely today, because I want to save plenty of room for crawfish.  My plan is to play online poker until about 12:30, then hit the Saucer for a beer or two, then the Silly Goose for a Bloody Mary or two, then on to Orleans on Front for the crawfish boil at 3:30.  By 5 I’ll park myself in front of a TV in Orleans or Voodoo Room to watch Selection Sunday.  GO TIGERS!  Come on, 1 seed!

Congrats to the Tigers on the C-USA tournament win.  Watched the game @ Silly Goose, then played pool at the Saucer, now back at the Goose blogging on one of their public computers.  About to head to the St. Pat’s parade on Beale.

There is a traffic enforcement saturation going on this weekend.  I strongly recommend that you don’t drive if you’ve had even one drink.  Arrange a designated driver or a cab.  577-7777

Orleans on Front’s Chef Clint e-mailed me that he was shorted about 100 pounds on his crawfish order, so he’s going to sell the crawfish for $4.50 a pound (+ corn potatoes mushrooms sausage) rather than $20 all you can eat.  He’s just trying to be fair to his customers and make sure that people don’t pay an all you can eat price without getting their money’s worth.  Starts at 3:30 PM tomorrow, Sun 3/15.

Silly Goose now carries Leinenkugel 1888 Bock (bottle) and Southampton Altbier (draft).  Flying Saucer continues to carry Turbo Dog Shitbier (draft).

About to head to the parade.  Cold weather = low turnout = lots of beads for me to catch.