Category: Uncategorized

There was a fire thid morning at The WL apartment building (once known as The Adler) at South Main and MLK Avenue. That concerned me because a number of my service industry friends live in that building. However, one of them posted to Facebook that everyone is safe and the fire was put out relatively quickly.

The Grizzlies are back home tonight, hosting the Detroit Pistons at 7. It will be Super Hero Night with Hero Slides for the first 5000 fans. TV: Bally Sports

Songbird Jones with special guest Sara Jean Kelley will play South Main Sounds tonight from 7 to 9.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has proposed a traffic plan for Riverside Drive that will double the number of parking spaces adjacent to Tom Lee Park.

The DM has a look at the newly reopened Front Street Deli. Its hours are 6:45 AM to 2:30 PM, seven days a week.

Saturday will be a big day for the following reasons:

• Memphis Farmers Market kicks off for the season. It will happen every Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, behind Malco Powerhouse. Offering far more than just produce, this is one of the best farmers’ markets in the U.S. Local chefs are known to stop by and do some shopping.
• The Memphis Tattoo Festival will be going on all weekend at the Renasant Convention Center.
• Grind City Music Festival will be happening on the grounds of Grind City Brewing Co. at Second and Waterworks.
• Memphis 901 FC will host Orange County FC for a 3 PM match at AutoZone Park.
• There will be 2:00 and 7:30 performances of WICKED at the Orpheum.
• It will be Marc Gasol’s number 33 jersey retirement at FedExForum, where the Grizzlies will host the Philadelphia 76ers. TV: Bally Sports
• On pay-per-view, it’ll be the first of two nights of Wrestlemania 40, headlined by WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and his cousin The Rock vs. “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and WWE World Champion Seth Rollins.

That’s it for now. I’ll be short on time tomorrow, so I can’t promise a post.

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Blast it all, the Cossitt Library is closed AGAIN today. All branches are closed for the anniversary of Dr. King’s death. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for all the branches to be open, so we could read what he had to say?

So once again I’m Wi-Fiing at the Saucer. A generous soul handed me a full lunch punch card – eat lunch 7 times, get the 8th free – so I’m cashing it in on a burger and fries. I’m getting one of the specials, the Grateful Shroom, with truffle aioli, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Swiss. It comes with arugula too but I had them leave it off – makes everything else on the burger slide around too much.

Eye to Eye Band plays The Brass Door this Friday 6-9 PM. Dance hits, rock, country. No cover. Drink specials. 

The DM reports that Ja Morant has split from his agent. 

Jaren (who my phone autocorrects to Karen) dropped 35 on Milwaukee last night as the Grizzlies won 111-101. 

Former Grizzlies player Vince Carter and executive Jerry West are going into the NBA’s Naismith Hall of Fame.

Martin Luther King III will speak about his father at the National Civil Rights Museum today at 1. 

It’s National Burrito Day. Maciel’s would be my recommendation to celebrate. 

It’s also National Ramen Day. I bet Good Fortune Co. on South Main willl be packed tonight. 

And it’s World Rat Day. Celebrate after dark on the Main Street Mall.  

Hard Times Deli is coming to The Edge. The restaurant’s operators previously ran Secret Smash Society, a burger pop-up. The new deli will be at 655 Marshall. 

Downtown Huey’s will close for about 10 days for renovations. 

Not Downtown news but significant: Bounty on Broad has announced its closure. 

From MR Magazine: Lansky’s still rock & rollin’ in Memphis

Food Truck Thursdays return to Court Square next Thursday, April 11.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow I hope.

I gratefully accept tips! 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $Paulryburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Dog doo golf. You can choose a little, average-sized, or large dog.

I have a beer recommendation, and it comes from a man who knows a few things about that topic: Gary “G-Rock”/“Mr. Value Drinking” Smith, holder of 60 plates, soon to be 61 at the Flying Saucer. That means he’s consumed at least 12,200 beers there.

Gary says Goldcrest 51 is one of the best beers the Saucer offers. That was the beer the old Tennessee Brewery made, one of the top sellers in the country in the 1940s. About 10 years ago, the family that had owned the brewery found the Goldcrest 51 recipe and started brewing new batches.

“But, Gary,” I protested. “I tried a can before the pandemic. I didn’t think it was that good.” As a PBR drinker, I have very high standards for beer taste.

“Try it again,” Gary advised. “They had the recipe messed up at first. The adjusted recipe is one of the smoothest-drinking beers I’ve ever had.”

I didn’t get a chance to try a Goldcrest 51 yesterday but will soon. The Saucer and Westy’s have it in cans.

The Saucer has announced a new giveaway for the month. Drink Memphis Made products to win a chance to take this beautiful sign home:

Saturday two important soccer matches happen at the same time, but The Brass Door will be equipped to handle it. They’ll havr

• Arsenal vs. Brighton on the main floor TVs
• USWNT vs. Japan in the mezzanine

11:30 is when things kick off.

Soccer is also a big deal at virtual golf bar Birdie’s on South Main. When matches are on, they have $5 local pints and $4 local cans.

Memphis Tigers head football coach Ryan Silverfield has a new 5-year, $12.25 million extension that’ll keep him here through 2028. Numerous bonuses are possible.

The Grizzlies will be in Milwaukee for a 7:00 game tonight. TV: Bally Sports

On CNN’s website: Enter your address and see what you’ll see for Monday’s solar eclipse

Help make sure seniors get enough to eat by participating in MIFA Restaurant Week April 5-14. Participating Downtown restaurants include

• Bogie’s
• Central BBQ
• Gus’s
• Huey’s
• Kooky Canuck
• Sunrise Memphis

HEART has been announced for Thursday, November 14 at FedExForum.

Not Downtown but getting closer: Midtown may get a Whataburger. The site being considered is the old police station at 1925 Union.

DJ Taz will go old school at the Blind Bear Friday night.

Hustle & Flow Step (hip-hop step aerobics) happens tonight and every Wednesday in April 6:00-7:00 in Tom Lee Park. Classes are free. Borrow a stepper (first come, first served) or bring your own.

DJ Flame plays Eight & Sand Lounge at Central Station Hotel Saturday night.

One11 Madison is having a cognac tasting and orientation to membership on its 3rd-floor level Friday.

There will be Yoga in the Park in Health Sciences Park today and every Wednesday in April 5:30-6:15 PM. Bring your water bottle and a mat. YOGA!

Sorry for the test posts yesterday. The WordPress app for iPhone seems to be picking up the wrong numeric ID for some posts, messing things up. Today I’m bypassing the app and posting from my MacBook. Back tomorrow with more news.

The head librarian came by and told the guy playing rap videos on his phone to use earphones.

The guy waited for the head librarian to go away then went right back to playing videos with sound, no earphones.

I hate people

The Fire Sale at the Saucer today is Barrique Tnave 10.

I’m extremely frustrated and am done posting today. We’ll try again tomorrow.

I had a 10 item post I typed on my phone but the WordPress app is messing up

At the Cossitt Library. The guy across the table from me is playing rap videos on his phone, with sound.

When the clock strikes 11 I’m about to say “F this” and go get a beer.

Having trouble posting today

Today is Sweet Potato Day. Cheers to my friend Billy from Vardaman, Mississippi, considered the sweet potato capital of the world. The main thoroughfare in Vardaman is called “West Sweet Potato Street” west of Main Street and “East Sweet Potato Avenue” east of it. 

LeBron James acknowledged the potential of Memphis Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson. LeBron apparently kept a watch on GG long before he got to the NBA.

The Grizzlies are back on the road tonight, taking on the Detroit Pistons at 6 PM. TV: Bally Sports. Memphis is mathematically eliminated from the NBA playoffs, so this game doesn’t matter much.

Tennessee has now been in 26 NCAA tournaments without ever making a Final Four. LOSERS

UConn, Alabama, Purdue, and NC State are the 2024 NCAA men’s Final Four. NC State made it as an 11 seed.

The Iowa-LSU women’s Elite Eight game is at 6 tonight on ESPN tonight at 6. Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese. That should be a good one. Reese should consider joining the WWE at some point in the future: She’s got great facial expressions and a personality that would work as a face (fan favorite) or a heel (rulebreaker). She and Bianca Belair would make an awesome tag team. She already does John Cena’s “you can’t see me” gesture.

Keep an eye on the weather. Storms are set to move through overnight and into the Tuesday morning rush hour. Fox 13 predicts a high of 78 today and 80 tomorrow but only 59 Wednesday.

Winfield’s clothing store at Main and Madison is having a sale.

Stop by and get you some rock star clothes. Carl Winfield doesn’t just sell clothes that look like what rock stars would wear. He sells clothes to rock stars. Robert Plant is known to stop by the store whenever he’s in town.

Davinci (or Davinchi, I’ve seen it spelled both ways) Restaurant and Lounge has opened in the former Pearl’s Oyster House space at S. Main and Pontotoc. Looks like they’re keeping the seafood theme but transitioning it into more of a fine dining experience.

A cappella country group Home Free comes to the Cannon Center Tuesday.

Red Deluxe seeks a Senior Creative Advertising Manager for Amazon Studios Marketing.

I got back to the Union Mission just in time for dinner last night. We had Easter ham piled high on our trays, corn, cabbage cooked with red peppers and pork, a roll, and Oreos. Grateful to the Mission and the church that came out to volunteer.

I may or may not post tomorrow, depending on the weather. I don’t want to get soaked and blown away trying to get to Wi-Fi. Back no later than Wednesday.

I gratefully accept tips! 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $Paulryburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

I went on a walk this morning. Here are some photos.

Thursday is the 56th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you’ve never been to MLK Reflection Park at Second and MLK Ave., this would be a good week to check it out. PRO TIP: Download one of King’s speeches or essays to your phone to read there.

The vacant lot next to The WKND Hang Suite (the original Raiford’s building) is vacant no longer. Looks like apartments are being built there.

The Bunk House is a South Main District event space you can rent. It’s on G.E. Patterson Avenue near St. Martin St. and is operated by my friend David Bunk who also has an art gallery and a Segway tour business on the same block.

Location, location, location: Four storefronts at 107-113 G.E. Patterson are for lease. Foot traffic on this block is substantial, with the building anchored by Memphis’ oldest restaurant, The Arcade, and popular sports bar Max’s. There’s a pizzeria and Memphis Escape Rooms across the street. This area is especially bustling the last Friday of every month for South Main Trolley Night. These storefronts are rare opportunities and someone needs to jump on them.

Is South Main getting an arcade? When I search for “Level Up Memphis,” the first result I got was a church.

If you walk your cat on South Main, please clean up after it. Also, WTF are you thinking, walking your CAT????

Slider Inn Downtown’s patio, known as “Slider Out,” is ready for spring concert season.

Green Beetle has frozen shirts. Those are gonna be niiiiiiiice in the steamy months of July and August.

My walk ended at the Flying Saucer, where I found this Easter egg. It contained some candy and a piece of paper that read, “1 free beer.”

I traded in my Easter egg for a Bearded Iris Double Homestyle, beer number 180 toward my ninth plate at the Saucer. 

In other Downtown news, I’m seeing photos on Facebook today that make me sad. There was a festival yesterday and attendees left a lot of trash on the street and sidewalks. The trash was still there this morning. I find this particularly offensive because the site is less than a 2 minute walk to the location where Dr. King was shot.  We love festivals, but please clean up after they’re over!

Flying Fish has some cool new T-shirts. They feature a picture of a crawfish holding up a sign that reads, “Just say NO to pot!” As in, a pot used to boil crawfish.

UConn and Bama have advanced to the NCAA men’s Final Four. They’ll be joined by the winners of Tennessee vs. Purdue (1:20 PM, CBS) and NC State vs. Duke (4:05 PM, CBS).

The DM has a look at Pinch retail business Greenhaus, selling houseplants. 

The Grizzlies lost by 30 to the Orlando Magic last night. TANK TANK TANK

Today is International Taco Day. Too bad Maciel’s isn’t open.

It’s also National Tater Day, a good day to get an order of Rocket Tots at the Saucer.

Cafe Keough at 12 S. Main is looking for a barista.

Broadway hit WICKED comes to the Orpheum this Wednesday through April 21. 

The LaQuinta Inn at Union and Danny Thomas will have a hiring event Thursday.

The Broom Closet at 552 S. Main will host a Mercury Retrograde Sound Bath Monday at 6:30 PM. The host is a certified sound therapist and they have zero-gravity chairs for participants to sit in.

Tandem Restaurant Partners is hiring a GM for one of its restaurants:

Memphis, we’re on the hunt for a specific General Manager profile for the midtown area: looking for strong working knowledge of mixology and cocktail preparation, bar ordering, inventory, cost controls, general operations management.

Please email your resume to:

julien@tandemrp.team

There will be a floral & nature painting workshop on Riverside Drive Saturday.

Ice Cube has offered Iowa basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark $5 million to play in his BIG3 tournament. That’s more than 60 times what she could make as a WNBA rookie.

That’ll do it for this rather long post. I think I’ll stick around the Saucer for the Purdue game. Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips! 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $Paulryburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Don’t forget… Monday is the day Downtown Walgreens marks down all it Easter candy. Go get you some Peeps and some Cadbury eggs and a chocolate bunny. The doors open at 7 AM.

Grizzlies at Orlando Magic tonight at 6 PM on Bally Sports. Watch party at Loflin Yard.

ABC 24 has a look at yesterday’s Redbirds opening day at AutoZone Park.

Today is Turkey Neck Soup Day.

Are Downtown bar curfews coming, following recent violence in the area?

Part of the old Commercial Appeal building at 495 Union have been sold. Those parts may become a storage facility. Some feel that’s not an ideal use of real estate at the gateway to Downtown.

The Blind Bear will have a watch party for the Tennessee vs. Purdue NCAA men’s tournament game at 1:20 PM Sunday. Food & drink specials, giveaways, prizes, live music by Adam Heart after the game. Go Boilermakers!

Thanks to the burrito ministry, which stopped by Court Square this morning. I had a couple of sausage & egg burritos, a bag of buffalo ranch chips, a Caramello bar, and a Coke Zero.

April Garcia & Stephany Medina play soul, funk, and dance music at Eight & Sand Lounge in Central Station Hotel tonight.

Time to meet friends at Bardog. Back tomorrow or Monday.

I gratefully accept tips! 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $Paulryburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

A fight outside a Downtown bar led to a shooting near Main and Gayoso a few minutes after 2:00 this morning. One person was seriously injured and a man was detained.

Today’s blog is being brought to you from a bench on Main Street because the F@$KING library is closed for Good Friday. Thank goodness I can hit a local business’s Wi-Fi from here. At 11 I’ll move to the Saucer and spend $6.25 on a beer I don’t want.

The former Hard Rock Cafe location on Beale Street will be the future home of both the Rock & Soul Museum and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Priscilla Presley was on hand to make the announcement yesterday. Great to see two iconic Memphis venues occupying the gateway to Memphis’ most famous street.

Tonight is the first South Main Trolley Night of the year. Many of the shops and galleries in the South Main district will stay open until 9 or later. It’s a fabulous opportunity to meet your neighbors. Some businesses put out booze.

Stock & Belle will have a Women’s Makers Market for Trolley Night.

Deep Roots plays Slider Inn Downtown 7-11 tonight.

Alexis Grace will play Beck & Call in the Hyatt Centric tonight at 8.

Grind City Brewing will have an Easter egg hunt Saturday – kids’ hunt at 1, adults’ hunt at 2. Adults can win beer and merchandise. The Tacos Tampicoso truck will be on site, and there will be games and a photographer.

Amber Rae Dunn and Mario Monterosso play The Central BBQ Sessions at Central BBQ Downtown Saturday at 6.

From Action News 5: The Redbirds are looking to make some noise as the season opens this afternoon.

Today is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day. Plenty of good options Downtown to celebrate this day!

Hatiloo Theater presents Sing, Sistah, Sing! at the Cannon Center Saturday.

At the Saucer now… Duclaw Unicorn Farts After Dark is the Fire Sale and beer 179 toward my 9th plate.

DUUUUUUUDE! This Fire Sale is 8.5% ABV!!!  

Soul & Spirits Brewing Co. will have an Ophelia Saison & Seafood Release Party on Saturday, April 6.  Ophelia is one of their most requested beers. I wonder if it’s named for former State Sen. Ophelia Ford? The Sushi Jimmi   and Poke Paradise food trucks will be there.

Memphis Tigers football will have its spring game Saturday, April 20 at the Liberty Bowl. You can get in for free, but wait until after the game to light one up.

Screw it, I don’t feel like getting back to the Union Mission by 2 to get in free today. I’m gonna have a couple more Fire Sales then head back about 4 so I can be there in time for dinner. I’ll pay the sic dollar cover charge in exchange for a few extra hours out. Back tomorrow, or Sunday or Monday, with more news.

I gratefully accept tips! 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn
Cash App: $Paulryburn1
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com