Category: Uncategorized

In case you missed it, Time Magazine has named their Person of the Year, and the choice was obvious: Barack Obama.  Great call.  He’s made some really fantastic Cabinet picks this past month.  Looking forward to January 20 and beyond.

Here’s a Commercial Appeal article about Frank’s Deli, the new deli/grocery store at Main and Vance.  They have tricycle delivery within a 10-block radius, and are open until 10 PM Sunday-Thursday and midnight Friday-Saturday.  Friendly folks in there and it’s good to have a new place to get groceries and a sandwich.

I just stopped in the Saucer to find out what the Fire Sale is today – it’s Flying Dog Doggie Style, need to post that to Twitter in a minute – and while I was there, I learned that the Memphis Tigers sports radio team will do a live broadcast from there starting at 5 PM.  Tigers play UALR at the FedExForum at 7.  Also at 7 is the Saucer’s Christmas “buy the beer, keep the glass” sale.  It’s a HOpe! HOpe! HOpe! Barack Obama glass.

Picked up a copy of the Memphis Flyer while out on my walk.  Let’s see what’s in there:

p. 28:  Bardog Tavern invites its customers to bring an ornament and help trim its tree Christmas Eve.  It will open at 5 PM Christmas Day.

p. 31:  The Red Rooster has decided to start doing its “Girls Night Out” every Thursday, with chick flicks 8 to 11, $2 Miller 64, $2.50 UV Vodka drinks, no cover for ladies, and “qualify to spin the wheel of fashion,” whatever that means.

p. 50:  Interesting “Help Wanted” ad.  A new Downtown deli is hiring for all positions, taking applications at the Blimpie on Stage Road in Bartlett.  Is Downtown about to get a Blimpie?  Mmmm good subs.

p. 52:  Couple of reasonably priced rental units in condo buildings.  There’s a 1 BR in the Claridge House (Main at Adams) for $715/month, and a studio loft in the Paperworks (Front at Huling) for $900/month.  Nice to see units being rented for under a grand in two of Downtown’s most desirable buildings.

On a personal note, I’m celebrating a milestone today… yesterday was the first time that my websites altogether earned me more than $100 in commission income in a single day.  Of course, this being the Christmas season it’s not reasonable (yet) to expect that to happen every day, but it’s a sign that things are continuing to move in the right direction.  My newest site College Logo Cornhole has turned into an immediate success, and Mid-South Alcoholic Supply is also generating lots of sales.

Got a couple more stores in the works, and I’m still continuing my 4-week project rewriting and marketing personal finance software.  Time to get back to it.

My BFF Stephanie has been having fun with Photoshop again.  Remember last week, when I told you one of my Facebook friends updated her “about me” to read “a nicer, younger, cooler version of Martha Stewart”?  Well, said friend had a tea party last Sunday in Cordova, and thanks to the magic of Photoshop, I “attended” the tea.

Wow, that’s a nice necklace I have on!  Just to clear up any misconception, I wasn’t there.  I have dozens of witnesses that I was downtown that afternoon, attending a birthday party for my friend Lee at the Saucer.  Then I went to Barton Flats, where I ate some delicious venison and played Texas Hold ‘Em.  Then I went and saw the Dempseys at Huey’s.  Then I went to Hoop’s new place.  A very fun day, and it definitely didn’t include a tea party.

Last night I heard that the Silly Goose, the new bar opening in the former Swig location, will open December 31.  That’s certainly an interesting decision, to make New Year’s Eve its first night.  Not necessarily a bad move either, as there will be overflow from other parties in the area.  Looking forward to giving the Goose a try, but it won’t be until 2009.  I’m very much looking forward to the party in South Main I’m attending to kick off the new year.

Restaurant.com has a new coupon code to save on discount restaurant gift certificates. Through December 22, enter code SANTA at checkout to save a whopping eighty percent. That’s the biggest discount I’ve ever seen them put out there. It means that $25 face-value gift certificates, which normally sell for $10, can now be bought for $2 using the coupon code. You can use it to save 80% on their Dinner of the Month Club too. Over a dozen restaurants in Downtown Memphis, and nearly a hundred around the city, participate in this program.  If you’re still looking for Christmas gifts, this might be a way to get your shopping done for cheap.

All right.  Time to get some work done on my current project.  The Rapscallions will dominate trivia once again tonight at 7.

My BFF Stephanie is incredibly talented at Photoshop.  Here’s one of her latest works of art:

June Bug, happy to be free from her Christmas sweater, is seen here using superpowers to destroy a factory that makes Christmas sweaters for cats.

I ate at the Flying Fish this weekend.  As I was leaving, I noticed this sign hung outside:

Six bucks for a dozen oysters isn’t a bad deal, but that’s a 100% price increase over what they were doing before (25 cent oysters every Sunday).  Wow I bet that’s going to tick a lot of their Sunday regulars off.

I love the Fish though… my health guru AL will be pleased to read that I got the grilled tilapia with red beans and rice and grilled zucchini and squash.  They have PBR on draft and in cans.  Wish some of that PBR would find its way down the street to the bar that’s owned by the same company as the Fish.

If you brave the weather and go out tonight, keep in mind that you have a couple of new options Downtown.  First of all, this is the first day of Calhoun’s Monday night beer specials, with all beers except PBR at half-price.  That means their regular domestics are $1.50 and their premium beers and imports are $2.50.  Five TVs to watch Monday night football, and a friendly neighborhood crowd.

Farther north, it will be Lauren’s second night behind the bar at the Voodoo Room at Orleans on Front (aka Hoop’s new bar) from 8 to 3.  They have $2 PBR cans.  I went in there last night after the Dempseys finished about midnight, and the place was surprisingly full – so full that they ran out of PBR!  I assume that situation will be rectified before the bar opens tonight.  Glad to see the place doing well.

Then there’s the usual stuff going on:

– Pint Nite at the Flying Saucer, most pints $2.75

– Unlimited bowling at Jillian’s for $10

– Di Anne Price playing the piano in the Westin lobby

– Trivia at the Blue Monkey, 8 PM

– Trivia at Huey’s, 9 PM

– $2 34 oz. Coors Light, $3 blue kamikazes, $4 100 proof tequila shots, and $9.99 wings at Big Foot Lodge during Monday Night Football.  Please be sure to tip Meghan appropriately at the bar when you buy those $2 beers.  A 15% tip on a $2 beer is 30 cents.  Or, if you want to be extra generous, tip her 18% or 36 cents.

My plan is to do Pint Nite, then walk over to the Voodoo Room to see Lauren.  Be extra careful if you drive tonight – the forecast looks nasty.  Trolleys, walking, and cabs are good alternatives to driving Downtown.

I’ve received e-mails from several people telling me that the new restaurant taking over the old Roma space at Third and Court is A&R BBQ.  I’ve also been told they are breaking their long-standing tradition of not serving alcohol at their restaurants, and are applying for a beer license.

Automatic Slim’s has been under new ownership for the past couple of months; it’s no longer one of Karen’s restaurants.  The new chef in the kitchen is none other than Michael Patrick, who most recently worked at EP Delta Kitchen.  They’re making some changes to the place and he sent me an e-mail about them this morning.

First of all, they’re going to start doing a brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 4.  The chef is going to send me a copy of the menu and I’ll write up a summary of it in a future post.

They’ll still be open for lunch (Mon-Fri 11-4) and dinner (5-10 nightly), but starting at 10 they will have a late night menu, which they will serve until they close at 3 AM.  It will consist of the appetizers from the dinner menu, soup of the day, Screaming Mimi iceberg wedge salad, 3 entrees which are smaller versions of their dinner entrees, a chef special, and a dessert.

Very cool… with Slim’s, Bardog, and Voodoo Room at Orleans on Front all doing late-night menus, Downtowners have a number of attractive dining options after 10 now.  It’s not just Huey’s and Denny’s anymore.

Just a reminder that the Dempseys play Downtown Huey’s tonight at 8:30.  I haven’t missed a Dempseys show at Huey’s in 5 years, and I don’t plan to miss this one.

I have advance knowledge of the Fire Sale today at the Saucer: Warsteiner.  A few weeks ago I called them out for a string of horrible Fire Sales that lasted several weeks in a row.  They are now doing much better.  This week we’ve had Blue Moon, Red Seal Pale Ale, Bass, Harp, and now Warsteiner on sale for $2.75… beers that people actually want to drink.  Also, kudos to them for putting the sound on for the Tiger game yesterday in the Garden.  If they keep this up maybe they’ll win back some of the business they’ve lost to Calhoun’s.

I have a feeling my BFF Stephanie is not real happy with me this morning… I got sidetracked at Bardog Tavern and never made it to the ugly sweater party in Midtown that she had invited me to.  And it wasn’t a case of not wanting to go… I honestly did, it’s just a case of there being so much going on in December that I was double-booked for events to attend.  Thursday of this week I’m triple-booked.  But I still hate it that I didn’t go… I’m a horrible BFF.  I’ve turned into Meghan. 

This article says that Bud Light is changing its packaging in 2009.  John D: “Really?  Paul, do you think they’ll be handing out any free samples?”

Speaking of John D, it’s time for me to head to the Majestic Grille, home of the John D breakfast, for Sunday brunch.  Have a good one, and maybe I’ll see you at Huey’s tonight.

Calhoun’s is going to put all its draft beers (except PBR) on sale for half-price on Monday nights, excluding Tiger games and BCS games.  That means the prices will be

• $1.50 for Miller Lite, Bud Light, Yuengling, and Mich Amber
• $2.50 for Guinness, Blue Moon, Ghost River Pale Ale, Bridgeport IPA, and Stella Artois

Looks like those in South Main will now have lots of affordable beers on Monday nights without having to make the trek north to the Saucer.

This poor kitty is wondering who she pissed off in one of her former nine lives, to deserve an owner who would do this to her.  The look on her face says “Get… this… sweater… off me NOW.”

The cat is JuneBug, owned by my BFF Stephanie and named after Estes aka “June Bug” the panhandler who’s been on the streets of Downtown Memphis for years, but is currently in jail on assault charges.

I’m looking forward to attending my first ugly sweater party tonight, even if it means I have to drive to Midtown.