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Yesterday I was hanging out with the owners of the Majestic Grille, and they told me about some fun upcoming events.

Starting this coming Sunday and continuing through December 16, the Majestic will be doing Sunday Suppers from 4 to 8 PM, family-style dinners for 4 with holiday music by local Memphis musicians – Susan Marshall, David Spenser, etc. Each week will feature a special dish that serves four people for $60. That’s only $15 per person if you have 4… or you can have 2 people and they’ll box up the leftovers for you. Here’s a look at the menu for this coming Sunday, November 25:

Braised pork loin with roasted apples & cider
Mashed root vegetables
Roasted rosemary potatoes
Salad of winter greens
Warm apple cake

They promised to e-mail me each week’s menu as the time approaches. They’re hoping to start a new holiday tradition for Downtown with these suppers. The place will fill up, so reservations are recommended and can be made on the Majestic’s website.

Also, the Majestic will unveil a new wine list next week. Sommelier Michael Hughes helped put together a list of wines, many of which are not available at local wine stores or other Downtown restaurants. They also tell me that their wine list will feature one of the biggest selection of magnums in the city, because the Majestic seems to be a popular place for big groups to come. Deni wrote me an e-mail that said, “We wanted to provide BIG, FUN wines that would also be a good value if dining with 5 or more.” Deni, honey, it takes a lot less than 5 Downtowners to polish off a magnum of wine!

They also tell me they have a big announcement coming on December 5, and they have some exciting changes to their website in store.

I love the Majestic. It’s my default place to recommend to people from out of town who ask where they should go to get a good meal. And, the Sunday brunch crew will be back there for brunch next week and the week after.

Time to pick up some lunch and head back to work. I’ll be at Pint Nite by about 5:15.

My birthday was exactly what I wanted it to be yesterday. Back in ’06 the gang threw a big party for me at EP’s, with a cake and everything. This time I told them that I just wanted business as usual – Sunday brunch with my friends – and that’s what I got. We started the day at McGuinness, then moved to the Saucer a little after 1.

About 2:30 I pretended not to see the Nuh-Uh Girl and the Nuh-Uh Sister sneak in the side door holding a pan. The Nuh-Uh Sister had baked me brownies… she put candles on them and brought them out to the pool room, where I was kicking ass and taking names. Unfortunately Mikey the Camera Nazi didn’t confiscate my camera until later in the day to start shooting pictures, so we don’t have pics of the birthday brownies.

A beer also showed up around that time – a biggie glass of Dos Equis Special Lager, with a whole lime in it. One of my running jokes with the waitresses is that they never give me enough limes to squeeze in my beer, so they overcompensated this time.

There was an employee meeting at 4, which meant all the Saucer girls were there, including annoying “buy me a shot, buy me a drink” girl. So after the meeting I turned the tables on her, and said “Buy me a beeeeeeeerrr!!!!!”

“I’m not buying you a beer, Paul,” she responded. Then she informed me that she and her little sidekick were going to Hooters. She sounded like she was bragging about it. Who the hell brags about going to Hooters? Then again, she does live in Cordova. I know she reads this blog from time to time and I have the following message for her:

Fortunately some of the other Saucer girls are much nicer. In fact, one of the waitresses bought me BOTH $30 beers! That was one of the sweetest gestures ever, but I’m not surprised because she’s one of the sweetest girls ever. Here’s a pic of me with one of the Saucer managers holding the two beers:

More birthday beers started rolling in and things started to get out of hand. Here’s a pic of me doing an Irish car bomb with one of the off-duty bartenders:

Since yesterday was also The Romanian Sensation’s birthday, I wore my “I love Romanian girls” shirt in her honor. Every time I wear that shirt I hear new and interesting stories about her.

Here’s a pic of me doing a car bomb with Air Traffic Control Mike:

Here’s a pic of me visiting the beer recycling station:

Somewhere amidst all the beers, I still managed to hold on to the thought that I needed to be a responsible person, and if I kept letting people buy me beers I’d get so wasted that I wouldn’t be able to make it to work today. So I left about 8:30, stopping by Sawaddii for take-out on the way home – curry fried rice with beef, really good. 8:30 is extremely early for me to leave the Saucer on a Sunday.

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday a great one, with special shout-outs to Melissa, Lauren, Patrick and Deni, Ken, Air Traffic Mike, and the Nuh-Uh Family. And to Mikey for coordinating the whole thing. I’m probably forgetting to thank a few people… when I got ready to leave I found out I didn’t have a tab, despite drinking over $100 worth of beer.

Here’s the photo album (65 pictures). Again, apologies for not getting the camera out earlier in the day – all the photos were taken between 6:00 and 8:30.

Coming later today – the post I’ve been promising about upcoming events at The Majestic Grille.

Tonight: Pint Nite, of course! I hope I didn’t run them completely out of Dos Equis Special Lager yesterday, because I plan on having about 10 more of them tonight.

For once I actually stuck to my plans last night. Went to the Lantana Projects art show, which was EXCELLENT. That was one of the best art exhibits I’ve been to, ever. Great collection of works, great space and good use of it by the artists, interesting people mingling, good background music. Thanks Lantana for a great time. After that the gang went to E&H, and once Nate got his bar open Otto and I went upstairs and hung out. Then I went home, changed clothes, and went on to Raiford’s. Unfortunately I timed it a little late this time – my typical Raiford’s agenda is get there an hour ahead of the crowd and down a couple of forties so I’m in the mood to dance by the time people show up. Well, last night I got there at 12:30 and it was already packed. By the time I finished my second 40 it was after 2. Oh well. At least a woman grabbed my ass last night. Wait, it was Paula, she grabs everyone’s ass.

Random quotes from drunk people I encountered last night:

———-

“Bartender, I’ll have a car bomb, please.”

“Feeling your oats tonight, are you?”

“I’ll be blowing oats later on.” … Then he paused for a few seconds and added, “By the way, Oats is my dog’s name.”

———-

“Oh my God, I can’t believe I’ve never tried a Soul Burger before. This is SO good. It’s like a burger-sized Krystal!”

———-

“They’re getting their Soul Burgers to go? Won’t that give it time for all the gunk on them to congeal and stuff?”

“Oh, they’re just taking them around the corner to their condo to eat, it’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, but they’ll have the LIGHT on in there!”

———-

“If you put Skittles in most beer, it tastes like ass. But I’ve heard that if you put Skittles in Lowenbrau, it’s really good. Skittlebrau. Look it up, I’m sure it’s on Wikipedia or Urban Dictionary.”

(Well, whaddaya know. There it is. And guess who invented Skittlebrau – none other than Homer Simpson.)

———-

It’s my birthday! Time to go get drunk! Also celebrating birthdays today: Mickey Mouse, and The Romanian Sensation. Also, Sam Cassell, point guard for the L.A. Clippers, shares not only my birthday but my birth year as well.

If you feel like making a charitable donation in honor of my birthday, buy Scratchy a Coke or a candy bar the next time you see him. Don’t give him money, I don’t think he knows what to do with it. If he asks for money, it isn’t the real Scratchy, but New, Improved Scratchy, who actually isn’t an improvement at all.

Been working on my “trip down memory lane” post, a look back at Downtown hangouts that have come and gone since I moved down here in early ’02. I’m having a lot of fun with it and it’s going to be one of my longest posts ever. I’ll be done sometime this week, so check back.

While surfing Wikipedia the other day to study for Tuesday night trivia with Chip… er, um, I mean Pete, I discovered that Joe Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan and father of JFK, Robert, and Teddy, died on the day I was born. Hmmm… for those who believe in reincarnation, I wonder if I’m the reborn spirit of Joe Kennedy?

I have no interest in creating a political dynasty like Camelot, but I am pretty proud of the social dynasty I’ve helped to create in Downtown Memphis over the past several years. Best group of friends EVER. I remember at the beginning of 2007, I thought to myself, I wonder how many awesome people we’ll add to the group this year? And there have been several. And there will be even more in 2008. Maybe if I am Joe Kennedy in a new life, I was born with a different purpose to carry out this time.

More evidence to support the reincarnation theory… my political views are pretty much in line with the Kennedy clan. And I admire JFK for hooking up with Marilyn Monroe when he was president. And I think I could’ve held my own in a drinking contest with Teddy when he was in his prime.

Just a little hung-over speculation. Someday I’m going to have to do a serious post on my views on reincarnation.

Off to the mall.

Went to Hoop’s Bar with a group of friends last night about 8:30, and for the second night in a row it felt like home. With the crowd that was in there, it actually felt about as close as a bar can get to the resurrection of Sleep Out’s.

The one thing they have to address, though, is the opening time. Up until now “whenever we feel like it” has been a pretty accurate description of that. They were polling us last night about what time the place should open. I told them either 6 or 7. If they open later than 7 then they’re going to lose a lot of the gang on weeknights, as many of the people don’t like to stay out later than 9 so they can get a full night’s rest for work the next day. If they open at 7 we can hang out at the Saucer for happy hour, then head over to Hoop’s. If they open at 6 that might spell the end of the Saucer as our #1 hangout.

Some people are concerned that there is the door to EP’s, and that the nightclub crowd will come over to Hoop’s and spoil the mood. I don’t think that’s an issue at all and in fact think it’s a good thing. The last 6 months Sleep Out’s was open, I got really bored with the place because it was the same people every day. That’s why I demoted it to #2 and started spending the majority of the time at the Saucer. But with that door there between Hoop’s and EP’s, new people will circulate in and out and the crowd will never get stale. Some people will discover that they really get into the vibe at Hoop’s and we’ll have new regulars/friends. Others will discover that the elevated status they enjoy in a nightclub atmosphere doesn’t carry over to a locals’ bar like Hoop’s, and they’ll get bored and head back through the door to all that glitters. People will sort themselves out and that’s a good thing.

It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out… the gang is ready for a new home and the Monkey isn’t open yet. I can just hear the managers’ meeting at the Saucer in a couple of months: “Paul only comes in here on Sunday afternoons and Tuesdays for trivia now. I guess we better hire some Romanians so he’ll come back.”

I accidentally hit Delete rather than Save when entering a number into my phone last night… I know the person the number belongs to reads this blog, and if they want to e-mail me their number so I have it again, that’d be cool.

Plans for the day (these are tentative and may be changed if more interesting stuff to do comes along):

Early afternoon: Trip to East Memphis to do some shopping
Late afternoon: Watch football somewhere
7:00-10:00: The Lantana Projects art show at 574 S. Main
10:00-12:00: E&H. I hope Nate has his bar open.
After that: Go home and change into my Disco Paul persona, then it’s on to Raiford’s.

Got two more posts on deck, one concerning reincarnation and the other about happenings at the Majestic Grille.

– Quote on the office refrigerator: “Pigs love mud. It reminds them of their natural habitat – barbecue sauce.” Heh. I may have to print that and frame it and bring it to the BBQ booth next May.

– This morning I learned of a benefit concert in Midtown, to happen tomorrow night to benefit Christopher Reyes, the founder of LiveFromMemphis.com. Christopher is recovering from back surgery and proceeds will go toward his medical bills and recovery, as well as the LiveFromMemphis site, one of the most important sites about the local music scene.

Concert will be at the Hi-Tone Saturday, November 17, starting at 9 PM (doors open at 8) and will feature The Subteens, Giant Bear, the Harmony Brothers, The Perfect Fits, Billie Worley & the Candy Company. There will also be an art show and live auction. $7 cover. Thanks to the Memphis Flyer’s weekend update (you can sign up for these on their site) for the info.

If you can’t make it to the show, you can drop off a donation online at LiveFromMemphis.com/donate.

– There’s another new Downtown blogger! Main Street Dental has started a blog to let their customers and prospective customers know what’s happening. Check it out.

– Crime is still running rampant in Memphis. County Commissioner Henri Brooks had her purse snatched as she pumped gas at Union and Pauline just east of Downtown. You’ve gotta be careful with your personal belongings and watch ’em every second.

– I’ve learned that my post yesterday about the Great American Smokeout caused at least one person to take action. Otto: “As soon as I read your post I went out and bought a pack of cigs and lit up.” Ironically, Otto was wearing a T-shirt wearing “Death: Our nation’s number one killer” yesterday.

– Congratulations to one member of our gang on being elected to his condo association board of directors! I’m sure he’s looking forward to the additional unpaid responsibility for possibly up to the next 5 years. And it should be an easy gig, as condo associations never bicker or disagree or anything like that. (evil laugh)

– Plans for tonight: Saucer after work, then Hoop’s Bar. After that, who knows. Raiford’s is still a possibility, but if not tonight, I will get there tomorrow.

After a couple of Happy Hour beers at the Saucer last night, I moved over to Hoop’s Bar about 8 PM and discovered that two-thirds of it was taken up by Sleep Out Louie’s refugees. Awesome! More of the old gang was in one place than I’ve seen in months.

My friend Kennedy was also there. Hang on, let’s post a pic of Kennedy.

There ya go. That’s Kennedy. And me, obviously. I found out that a number of people at the bar were drinking for free, thanks to Kennedy. I mentioned this the previous week but had forgot about it… if you listen to Q107.5 on Thursdays you can get on a “VEP” list that gets you in EP’s for free and free drinks from 8 to 9. Kennedy: “I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DRINK, BUT TIP YOUR BARTENDERS!!!” There’s also a food buffet of meatballs, wings and egg rolls.

This is going to alter my Thursday plans in the future… EP’s on Thursday is part of my normal routine, but in the past I’ve considered 8 a little early to get there. But if I can drink free for an hour and get some food in my stomach, and have my old Sleep Out’s friends (and Hooper and Tony) to chill with after the free-stuff hour ends, hell, I’m in! Besides, what would I be doing instead… sitting at the Saucer, same damn thing I do every night. As I said yesterday, I intend to start circulating more.

Since next Thursday is Thanksgiving, I need to e-mail Kennedy and confirm whether or not this deal will be going on. I’ll let you know what I hear.

Left at 9:30 to go see the Dempseys at the Saucer, but I hit the point of exhaustion less than halfway through their first set. I realized that if I stayed out and drank more, it would mess up my weekend. So I gave it up, came home, and managed to get a full 8 hours. Nice.

Other news: Reading the Downtowner magazine this morning, and I see that there’s a great article on Memphis Shopping Bag, the service that will get a list from you and shop at your favorite stores so you don’t have to. Great service for those who like the selection in the East Memphis groceries but never have time to drive out there. I’ve communicated a little with the owners and they seem to be real good people who know what they’re doing.

Also in the Downtowner: You can score free tanning time at the Tan-n-Go in Harbor Town or the one in Midtown by bringing in canned goods for the Memphis Food Bank. Call 272-3348 for more details.

Plans for this weekend:

Tonight: No idea.
Tomorrow day: Shopping in East Memphis: Target, Oak Court Mall, Bookstar, Davis Kidd, etc.
Tomorrow night: The Lantana Projects art show at 574 S. Main. Once again, let me stress that this sounds like a big, fun party that’s worth rearranging plans for. 7 to 10 PM.

At some point Friday or Saturday night I plan on having a beer at Nate’s bar. At some point Friday or Saturday night I plan on making it to Raiford’s. It’s been an entire month since I’ve been. I’m well rested this time around and have plenty of energy to do a late night.

Sunday: Brunch at McGuinness (week 2 of 2), then business as usual at the Saucer, which means kicking Pete’s ass at pool and generally acting stupid. Oh and it’s my birthday! Buy me a beer! Buy me a shot! Buuuuyyyyy meeeeeeee a drrrrriiiinnnnkkkkkkk!!!!!

Back later today with a link to a new Downtown blog. Right now it’s time for the morning run to Jack’s for Mountain Dew.

People have been suggesting I do this one for a while. This is my list of recommended places to get a good steak in Downtown Memphis. This is not an all-inclusive list; I’m only including restaurants where I’ve personally eaten, or have an overwhelming number of good recommendations from others. Yes, I’m biased, but I do know Downtown.

If you’re really hungry and have money to spend, my top recommendation would be Texas de Brazil. It’s all-you-can-eat, priced in the mid-$40s. Servers bring about a dozen different meats to your table, and if you request they slice you off a piece. My favorites are the filets and the Brazilian picanha. They also have one of the best salad bars in the city. If you have vegetarians in your group, they can easily make a meal off the salad bar alone (which they can purchase without the meat at a reduced price).

I’ve been told that The Grill Room, the fine-dining wing of The Daily Grill in the Westin Hotel, has some of the best steaks in town. That’d probably be my top recommendation if you want more of a traditional sit-down dinner rather than what Texas de Brazil offers. This would be a great choice for corporate dinners too.

Capriccio in the ground floor of the Peabody is an Italian steakhouse that has an excellent reputation.

Now, there are also a number of restaurants Downtown that aren’t steakhouses per se, but do cook a mean steak.

I had a filet from The Majestic Grille earlier this year and it was absolutely outstanding. Definitely worth going back for. I need to try their ribeye at some point; the chef, Patrick, tells me it’ll wipe away memories of eating bad ribeyes at Bonanza when I was a kid.

Blues City Cafe has some huge steaks that can be split among several people. They have a Porterhouse (2 1/2 or 3 lb.), a T-bone (2, 2 1/2, or 3 lb.), and massive sirloin (4, 5, or 6 lb.), as well as normal-sized Memphis Strip and low-carb Strip Steak options. Blues City is especially recommended between the months of July and October, as they tend to hire Romanians who come here on their summer break. A little eye candy with your steak is always a bonus.

I had a filet at EP Delta Kitchen not long after it opened last year and can definitely recommend it. If you’re not a person who enjoys the nightclub scene I recommend you make your reservation for no later than 8 PM at EP’s.

I have not personally tried either of these, but I have heard “best steak in Memphis” from numerous people about two Downtown restaurants: Stella and Grill 83. Stella is at the corner of Main and Monroe; Grill 83 is inside the Madison Hotel. They’re both great places but have very different atmospheres: Grill 83 is more cosmopolitan and trendy, while Stella is more comfortable and inviting.

That’s my list as it stands as of today. I may update this post and bump it from time to time. If there are places I left off that you think I should try, let me know.

Every year, the third Thursday of November is the Great American Smokeout. For one day, smokers all over the world give up their filthy, nasty, disgusting habit, and suffer through the day with millions of their other fellow smokers.

The goal of the day is to give smokers a taste of what it’s like to live without cigarettes, in hopes that they’ll think, “I can do this another day,” and then another, and eventually quit permanently. For some it works. For many it doesn’t.

But it’s worth a try. The goal is to quit for a whole day, from the time you get out of bed to the time you fall asleep. If you are just reading about it now, you could always make Friday, November 16 your smokeout day instead – believe me, us nonsmokers won’t mind.

One more post to come, but right now, I’m hungry, so I’m going to walk to Blue Plate for meat and three.

Last night I received info that another homeless person has been found dead in Downtown Memphis – that makes two within 24 hours, and this one appears to be a murder. Police were called to the south end of Tom Lee Park about 5:15 PM yesterday, where they found a homeless man dead on arrival. He had been stabbed by another homeless man, after they argued about being in each other’s “space.” Suspect is in custody.

At least two more posts to come today, including the steakhouse recommendations I’ve been promising. Check back.