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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.

The Silly Goose has informed me that, in addition to opening at 10 AM for those who wish to watch the Tigers vs. Tulsa in the C-USA title game, they will have dollar PBR and dollar dogs.  If you’re not going to the FedExForum, why would you want to watch the game anywhere else?  Cheapest PBR Downtown during game time.  Game starts at 10:35 AM.

Quote of the week:  “When I want to watch the Tigers, I go to the Silly Goose.  And when I want to watch the Cougars, I go to Spindini.” –me

More stuff that has come in since my last post:

– The Westin lobby bar will be open early for Tiger fans and Tiger game watching tomorrow morning (10:35 game time).  Add that to the list of places opening early, which already includes Sole, Calhoun’s, and Silly Goose.

– The Majestic Grille is hosting the live broadcast of the Tiger game today at 3 PM.  Pre-game starts at 2, then the game will be shown on their big screen.  They’ll do an early happy hour with two $9 flatbreads, $2 domestics, $3 imports, $3 wells, $4 selected wines.

– The Flying Saucer is having an Easter Keg Hunt.  You have to locate and figure out various clues, which you will then use to figure out where an Easter Keg will be hidden early next month.  First team to find the keg and bring it back to the Saucer gets a party for 100.  Sorry, that’s all the info you’ll get from me about this one.  Why should I say more and help my competition find the keg before I do?  Stop by the Saucer for details.

– Orleans on Front sent me their new happy hour menu.  There are a number of appetizers in the $4-6 range, a pound of boiled shrimp for $7.75, and a grilled oyster skewer for $8.  Booze-wise, there are five wines at $4 per glass, and several $4 New Orleans-style martinis.  $1 off wells, calls, bottled beer; $2 PBR cans every day; $3 Miller High Life every day.  2 for 1 draft specials during happy hour as follows:  Blue Moon Tuesdays; Abita Wednesdays; Bud Thursdays; Bud Light Fridays.

By the way, I want to remind everyone that I have a happy hour search engine where bar/restaurant owners can go in and add their own listings, or edit existing listings.  (I don’t have a Delete option, to prevent bars from deleting their competitors’ specials; you’ll have to e-mail me if something is out of date).  This gives you a way to post your happy hour info without waiting for me to get around to it.  You’re still welcome to e-mail it to me as well, though, for mention on the blog.  I haven’t updated Orleans’ info there yet, so what I posted above supersedes anything you find there for now.

– I also have a copy of Voodoo Room’s new late-night menu (10 PM to 3 AM).  For apps they’ve got hand-cut mozzarella stix with marinara, parmesan fried green tomatoes with comeback sauce, hand-cut fries with comeback sauce, a pound of peel & eat shrimp, and house salad with blackened or grilled chicken or shrimp.

For entrees they’ve got the Voodoo Burger (half pound beef, beer braised onions, a fried green tomato, comeback sauce, lettuce, sourdough bun, hand cut fries), My Big Fat Cajun Omelet (3 eggs, cheddar, andouille sausage, crawfish, grilled shrimp, peppers and onions, topped with chip-chup), trio cheese crawfish dip with toasted French bread, double cheeseburger with fries, pork chop poboy with fries, shrimp poboy with fries, soft shell crab poboy with fries, chicken poboy with fries, catfish poboy with fries.

That Voodoo Burger sounds amazing.  So does the omelet.  I’m sure my health guru AL is having a heart attack at the thought of me eating those dishes.

Also, booze specials in the Voodoo Room:  $3 Jager on Sundays, $1 PBR draft on Mondays, $2 domestics on Tuesdays, dollar off draft on Wednesdays.  They now have Bud Light, Fat Tire, Blue Moon, Ghost River, Yazoo (they didn’t specify which Yazoo but I’d assume Pale Ale), and PBR on draft.

– The CCC asked if they could use my “Soul of Downtown” itinerary on their site.  Of course! I’m delighted that they want to do it.  Glad they think Downtown visitors will find it useful.

– Beers have been added to Calhoun’s “Bracket Buster” challenge – buy any Guinness, Ghost River, Blue Moon, Dos Equis, Lazy Magnolia, Stella, IPA, or Fat Tire between Sun 3/15 and Wed 3/18 and receive an NCAA bracket to fill out.  Hand it in to Max when you’re done (by Wed 3/18) at the latest, and winning bracket gets a $100 bar tab.

My agenda for the day:  Tiger game watching at 3; a birthday party in South Main at 7; the Dempseys at Automatic Slim’s at 11.  I haven’t made up my mind where I’ll watch the game, with the Saucer, Silly Goose, and the Majestic Grille being possible options.  Haven’t checked the Fire Sale yet.

Watched last night’s Tiger game at the Goose, then moved to the Saucer to catch the Dempseys.  However, by the start of their second set I was more interested in what was on TV… Syracuse and UConn in a game that went six overtimes.  Syracuse never led at any point during the first 5 but managed to keep the game tied.  By the beginning of 6 OT UConn was winded and couldn’t keep up.  So UConn lost 127-117.  That could be the end of their #1 seed in the NCAA.  Pitt and Oklahoma lost as well, and Pitt may survive but the Sooners are almost certainly down to a 2 now.  Memphis definitely got some help last night in its quest for a 1.

And that’s all folks… I’ll figure out my Tiger watch location by 2:00 or so.

Here’s a summary of St. Patrick’s events going on Downtown this weekend through Tuesday:

Saturday, March 14

Beale Street: Parade at 4 PM; Blessing of the Kegs 6:30 PM; Pub Crawl begins at 7 PM.  Also, Silky does the “Raising of the Goat” every year, where he raises a goat up on a platform, and people look at the goat and drink green beer.

Red Rooster will have $2 green beer immediately after the parade.  Later in the evening, Aquanet will play.

Sunday, March 15

Kooky Canuck will have $2 34 oz. green beer, $3 Guinness, $4 Jameson shots, and $5 Irish car bombs all day long.  $100 cash prize to the person wearing the most green at 9 PM.

Orleans on Front is having a crawfish/shrimp boil in the parking lot.  Hoop will be serving beer from a Budweiser truck.  There will be an all-you-can eat price including first beer, and a to-go price.  Selection Sunday will be on the TVs inside Orleans and the Voodoo Room.  Music by DJ Tree.  (Yeah I know this isn’t really a St. Pat’s event… but it’s going to be a lot of fun.)

Week of Monday, March 16

Chef Patrick – not to be confused with St. Patrick – will run Irish lunch specials all week long at the Majestic Grille.

• Beef and mushroom pie: Beef, vegetables, mushrooms, and Murphy’s Stout topped with a puff pastry crust, $10.
• Fish and chips:  Beer battered Atlantic cod filet with chips, malt vinegar, and tartar sauce, $10.
• Limerick ham sandwich:  Served warm with Dubliner cheese, a fried egg, and parmesan fries, $10.

Tuesday, March 17

Silly Goose will have $6 corned beef and cabbage, $5 Irish car bombs, $2 domestics, and $1 jello shots all day, from open to close.

I’ve confirmed that the Flying Saucer will do their usual Tuesday night trivia with Mikey the Substitute Trivia Guy.  According to the Livin’ It Up Downtown newsletter, they’re doing a St. Pat’s party, but did not give details.

Calhoun’s will have a Hard Luck St. Patty’s party:  Buy a Guinness for your chance to win the pot o’ gold, and play bar bingo for other prizes all night.  Party starts at 6 PM.

Bardog Tavern will have $3 pints all night (that’s their normal Tuesday Pint Night special) and will have an “Erin, Go Braghless” party with $2 green beer all day.

Capriccio Grill will have a three-course Irish Dinner that night from 5 to 10.

TJ Mulligan’s Pinch: Brian Lusk Project at 4 PM, Gallowglass Pipers at 8, Mean Green Music Machine at 8:30.

Tug’s on Mud Island will also carry on with their trivia night, and will be serving traditional Irish food, drinks, and beer.

Chef Clint e-mailed me more info about the crawfish boil he’s doing in the parking lot of Orleans on Front this Sunday, March 15, starting around 3:30.  In particular, I learned he’ll be boiling shrimp as well as crawfish, and he gave me prices.  Here’s what we’ve got:

• $20 for all-you-can-eat, with a draft beer and corn, potatoes, mushrooms, and sausage
• $10 for kids’ all-you-can-eat without the beer
• $10 for a slap full to-go box
• $13 for 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, sausage
• $8 for corn potato mushroom sausage plate (I think that’s what he meant – the e-mail said “corn sausage mushroom sausage plate” which I’m assuming is a typo)
• Budweiser truck with Hoop pouring beer
• Music by DJ Tree
• NCAA Selection Sunday on the TVs in Orleans and the Voodoo Room
• Beer pong, darts, and Wii bowling downstairs in the Voodoo Room

Clint is going to forward me some more stuff later today about new happy hour specials, and the re-introduced (and now consistently offered) late night menu in the Voodoo Room.

On Facebook this morning trying to make sense of their new homepage… I like the real-time thing, but I’m still trying to figure out how to access items that were on the old homepage – in particular, events to which I’ve responded “attending.”  Always fun to look at the event pages and see who else is going.  I think I’ll like the new Facebook, just need to get used to it.

Still leaning toward Silly Goose as my watch spot for the 6 PM Memphis Tigers game, unless the Saucer puts something particularly good on Fire Sale.