Wednesday update

SPECIAL GUEST BARTENDER ALERT: The one and only Amanda “Panda” will be guest bartending at Bardog with Melissa tonight from 5 to 8. Panda was a longtime bartender there for more than 10 years. Love me some Panda.

The Memphis Tigers play Alabama State tonight at 7 at FedExForum. TV coverage will be on ESPN+.

The Grizzlies have fallen to second place in the Western Conference following last night’s loss to Denver. Memphis is 0 games back of Denver in the West, but thanks to last night the Nuggets hold the tiebreaker. The Grizz now head to Phoenix for a game on Friday.

The MemphisWeather.net blog has an update on the Arctic conditions Memphis will experience Thursday-Friday.

If you have a day off over the holidays and are looking for something to do in the morning, come up to Bardog. We have them put The Price Is Right on at 10. Drunk Price Is Right is amazing.

Bob Barker turned 99 last week, by the way.

Ben Yay’s will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

From the DM: Downtown residents, leaders frustrated with crime

Today is National Hamburger Day. Double-double at Dyer’s, baby!

Short on time so I’m going to hit Publish. I’ll have the jar of Vegemite out today. Back tomorrow.

Vegemite review and Tuesday update

I took my jar of Vegemite to Bardog yesterday. It was a gift from two friends who recently got back from Australia. “Allie Cat, I need two pieces of toast,” I told the bartender. “One for me and one for you.”

With great trepidation, I spread the product on. I had heard it was terrible. I posted a pic to Facebook and a local chef commented, “Don’t eat that.” Not a good sign.

The verdict?

Everyone was right! It was indeed terrible! Allie nailed it: “It tastes like a combination of Play-Doh and beef broth.”

Allie and I made a pact that we’d tell everyone Vegemite was good, so they’d come up and ask to try it. I texted several people but got no takers. Doing something I normally don’t believe in – lying – I called it a savory version of Nutella.

I did get a lesson in Female Behavior 101 though. But it’s time to do the news, so we’ll save that for the end of the post.

I have an earthquake app on my phone and this morning I’m getting a bunch of notifications about quakes near Ferndale, California, including a 6+ magnitude one. I hope these aren’t foreshocks of “The Big One.”

One day Memphis will have its own Big One too. And I live in a 16-story building built half in 1904 and half in 1914, before there were earthquake standards.

Grizzlies on national TV alert: Memphis tips off at Denver tonight at 9 on TNT. My friend Shrek who is a TV producer would want me to tell you: If you live in the Memphis market, skip TNT and watch Fish and Brevin and Pete call the game on Bally Sports Southeast instead.

Keep an eye on the forecast… low temps around 6F and wind chills below zero are expected Friday morning.

Today is National Sangria Day.

John Mellencamp is coming to the Orpheum April 24-25. I bet my friend Amy is jumping for joy with excitement.

Today is Bardog’s employee Christmas party. They’ll be closing at 3 PM and reopening at 5 PM. The party will be offsite. I won’t reveal the location, but Aldo takes great care of his people.

Monroe between Main and Second, as well as November 6th St. between Madison and Monroe, will be closed for construction during the first half of January. If you have a reserved spot in the alley, you’ll need to park in the garage.

Silly Goose has dessert now: A blondie brownie topped with Irish whiskey ice cream from Margie’s 901. It’s homemade, topped with caramel sauce.

Yesterday I learned there were Yacht Rock and Dad Rock stations on Pandora.

The Congressional January 6 committee has recommended the Trumpster be prosecuted for multiple crimes for his role in the insurrection. I bet there are a lot of federal prisoners who would hit dat Trump ass.

Okay, it’s time for that Female Behavior 101 lesson.

Sunday morning, my friend Butt Slut #1 told me she’d meet me at Bardog for breakfast on Monday so she could try the Vegemite. By late afternoon Sunday, though, she’d changed her tune. “I’m going to bail on you for breakfast tomorrow, Paul,” she told me, “because I’m mad at you.” And, in fact, she did bail on me.

Can you, dear reader, guess the horrible transgression I committed?

You’re probably thinking, “I guess she finally got tired of being called ‘butt slut’ in public and on a well-read blog.” Wrong. She loves her nickname and understands I don’t use it with even a hint of meanness. Also, her best friend in the whole world calls her that too (and much worse).

Now you’re probably thinking, “Pauly. I know you. You drink a lot of PBR. And she’s an attractive girl. You had a few too many and got creepy with her. I bet you tried to kiss her or grope her, didn’t you?” Wrong again. I don’t do that to women unless I very clearly have their permission.

So you want to hear the awful thing I did?

You’re gonna think I’m a complete asshole when you read it.

I will probably lose the respect of most of my blog readers.

You ready?

Mid-afternoon Sunday, I texted Butt Slut #1 and told her, “Your Dallas Cowboys just lost hahahahaha.”

That’s what pissed her off so much.

She told me later Sunday evening that she wouldn’t have been so mad had I not included “hahahahaha.”

Makes perfect sense, right?

Now I will close this post with the words of a great American philosopher.

Women. You can’t live with ’em…………. (shrugs shoulders)
– Al Bundy

Vegemite sampling this morning

In case you missed yesterday’s post, my friends Randy and Theresa went to Australia this month and brought me back a jar of Vegemite, a savory spread.

A lot of us have heard of Vegemite but have never tried it. So I’m gonna bring the jar to Bardog breakfast this morning, where there’s toast, and we’ll have ourselves a tasting.

Most people have told me Vegemite is disgusting, but my friend Clay commented “it is SO good.” Then again, he likes pineapple on pizza, so I take his culinary opinions with a grain of salt.

Hanukkah begins today. Cheers to the Nuh-Uh Girl and all my other Jewish friends.

Other than that, no news to report. Over and out.

Sunday update

If you live in the Downtown core, you’re probably aware of The Giant Hole that’s been dug on Monroe between Front and Main for the past few months. See, what happened was, my part of Downtown has the oldest sewer infrastructure in Memphis, dating back to the 1800s. On October 1, a water main broke and flooded nearby businesses. Brinkley Plaza was closed for weeks, as was Flight restaurant. Every day since the water main break, about a dozen workers have been out on Monroe repairing the damage.

By last week, they were almost done. Bogie’s Deli and Flight had reopened, and a dump truck had dropped off a huge pile of gravel to fill in The Giant Hole. Monroe Avenue, closed for two months, looked on track to open to traffic by Christmas.

Then, on Friday, a piece of construction equipment dropped a 4000-pound plate.

Guess what it hit.

Yep, the water main.

D’oh!

Needless to say, the completion date for The Giant Hole project has been moved back by weeks.

I’m meeting my friend Butt Slut #1 (more about her later in this post) at Bardog for brunch today and I’ll see if there are any updates about the hole. If there are, I’ll have an update tomorrow.

More from WREG

I got my first Christmas present yesterday! My friends Randy & Theresa recently went to Australia for a Billy Joel concert and brought me back a gift bag.

I’ve heard about Vegemite for years and have always been curious to try it. It’s a spread made from leftover brewers’ yeast and other additives. Really, people have told me it’s kinda gross, but I want to find out for myself. I think I’ll take it to Bardog breakfast on Monday and order a piece of toast to spread it on. I’ll let Allie Cat try it too, if she wants.

R & T also brought me some crocodile jerky. Later in the day, I told the bartender at Blind Bear about my gift bag. “I don’t think I’d eat crocodile,” she said.

“Why not?” I replied. “They’d eat us.”

Aldo in the bag: a box of Haigh’s Australian chocolates, a Melbourne T-shirt, and a bottle of Deep Eddy vodka (not Australian). Thank you R & T for my gift bag and for being such wonderful friends. Excited about spending Christmas with you out in Eads.

A date for the celebration of life for our friend Nate has been set for early January. If you knew him, hit me up on social media or email me (paul@paulryburn.com) for the deets.

The Memphis Tigers beat Texas A&M 83-79 yesterday. 2 wins over 3 SEC opponents in a week is not bad. Memphis belongs in the Top 25. Next up: At home against Alabama State on Wednesday.

Ja Morant was ejected last night in a Grizzlies loss to OKC:

Good news though – New Orleans and Denver lost their most recent showdowns, leaving the Grizz atop the Western Conference by 1 game.

Blind Bear has two additions to its menu:

  • $10 meatball sub
  • $10 fried bologna sandwich

Van Duren debuts at South Main Sounds on January 20.

Today is National Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day.

Snow is in the forecast for Thursday.

Today is the final day for Ballet Memphis presents The Nutcracker at the Orpheum.

There’s a Holiday Jam concert at the Cannon Center tonight featuring Johnny Gill and Stokely.

A woman has been charged in a bizarre scheme in which she allegedly tried to claim ownership of an Uptown homeless shelter.

WREG spotlighted 6 new restaurants in Memphis, 4 of which are Downtown: Penny’s Nitty Gritty, Cocozza, 350 Baked, and Quintessential Sweets.

A woman reported a “terrifying” robbery attempt around 1 AM last Sunday at Front and Huling.

Odds Atelier, a clothing store on South Main, was robbed Wednesday.

For the benefit of my male readers, it’s time to update the list about my goofy but adorable friend:

KEYS TO WINNING BUTT SLUT #1’S HEART (or maybe her butt? IDK)

  • Feed her soup. She likes lentil soup in particular
  • Watch soccer with her. But remember, guys, it’s a fútbol match on a pitch, not a soccer game on a field.
  • Make her potatoes with Boursin cheese
  • Watch the Dallas Cowboys with her (UGH the Cowgirls)
  • Know the difference between jelly and jam

I just opened that bag of crocodile jerky. It is so good!

Getting this blog back on track following a bad mid-month. Back tomorrow probably.

Thursday update

Grizzlies on national TV alert: They host Milwaukee tonight at 7, the game being broadcast on NBAtv.

If you’re attending the game in person, be one of the first 10,000 there and you’ll score a free Grizzlies rally flag.

Bad news for the Memphis Tigers basketball program: Malcolm Dandridge will be out for at least a week or two with an ankle sprain.

Baby it’s cold outside: Highs in the 40s for the next week with the extended forecast looking extremely cold.

It’s National Cupcake Day.

Short post. Still not feeling very ucey (if you watch WWE, you get it). Back tomorrow.

Tuesday update

Jaren Jackson Jr. got 8 blocks as the Grizzlies defeated the Atlanta Hawks last night. The win improves Memphis’ record to 18-9 and they remain second in the Western Conference, 0.5 games behind New Orleans.

Tonight, however, our basketball attention turns to the Memphis Tigers. They hit the road to face 4 Alabama in a huge game. It’ll be on ESPN2 at 8 PM.

The Tigers just missed the top 25 in the latest AP poll. A win against Bama and they’re surely in.

Pam from River Time Market & Deli posted that she now has fudge for sale. It’s about a 1.5-pound pan for $20. Choose from chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter, and butterscotch. (901) 482-0460 to order.

Max’s Sports Bar has announced holiday hours:

  • Christmas Eve: 11 AM-7 PM
  • Christmas Day: 4:30 PM-12 AM
  • December 28: 4 PM-12 AM
  • New Year’s Eve: 11 AM-3 AM
  • New Year’s Day: 11 AM-12 AM

Random thing I learned yesterday: Hello Fresh has Buddy the Elf meal kits. Spaghetti with maple syrup.

I haven’t verified this, but I heard the Saucer has a Yuengling chocolate stout that tastes like a Hershey bar.

Janet Jackson is coming to FedExForum on April 29.

Today is Ice Cream Day, a weird holiday to celebrate in December. I recommend treating yo’ self to some Margie’s 901 in Pembroke Square.

New moonshine flavor at Blind Bear: cookies & cream.

From WREG: 1 dead, 1 injured after a fight occurred in the Edge District

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow.

 

Sunday update

How about those Memphis Tigers!!! They dominated 11 Auburn yesterday, winning 82-73. Kendric Davis lived up to all his pre-season hype, dropping 27 points.

The win improves Memphis to 8-2 and I suspect the Tigers will be ranked in this week’s AP poll. If I had to guess I’d put them at 22. If the season ended today, I’d put them at a 6 seed in the tournament.

Memphis’ work is far from done, though. The Tigers have a chance to pick up an even more impressive win at 8 Alabama on Tuesday. Bama knocked off 1-ranked Houston yesterday.

The Hospitality Hub’s recent Tree of Faith, Hope, and Love event provided the homeless with lunch and backpacks filled with treats and cold-weather essentials.

There’s a Streetdog Foundation fundraiser at Loflin Yard today.

The CA has a sneak peek of IBIS, the new restaurant opening in the former Pontotoc Lounge space.

The CA also has a sneak peek of Cocozza, the new Harbor Town restaurant featuring red sauce Italian favorites.

That’s it for now. Hopefully by the end of the week, I’ll return to my normal cheerful self and this blog will be better.

Saturday update

The Blind Bear sweater & onesie party has been moved from today to next Saturday. 7-11 PM. Cocktail specials, prizes.

Congratulations to Maciel’s, recently named one of the top 100 taco spots in America.

The South Main Association will hold its holiday party this Tuesday at 158 Vance. Free for members, $20 for non-members. Live music, food, cocktails.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Magic of Memphis is at the Cannon Center tonight.

The Grizzlies defeated the Detroit Pistons 114-103 last night. At 17-9, the win moves Memphis up to 2nd place in the Western Conference, 0.5 games behind New Orleans. Next up: Hosting Atlanta on Monday. That game will be on NBAtv.

Today is National Lager Day. May I recommend the PBR?

Memphis Tigers assistant coach Larry Brown is stepping down due to health concerns.

Speaking of the Tigers, they have a big game today. They travel to Atlanta to play Auburn in a Holiday Hoopsgiving game. It’ll be televised on ESPN2 at 4 PM. This is a big chance to get a neutral-site win over a Top 15-ranked SEC team.

All right, y’all, that’s all I have the energy to type this morning. I’ll admit I’m not in a great place mentally right now. I’m bummed out by the unexpected loss of my friend. I’m bummed out that apparently dozens of people who work for an industrial company are going to converge on my favorite Saturday morning bar for a holiday party right at 11 AM, packing it to the gills and sending me elsewhere. I’m sick of walking in this fucking rain.

Things will get better.

Friday update

I doubt today’s blog post will be much good. I am not in the mood to type it. We lost a loved member of our Downtown family this week.

My last memory of Nate was Monday evening at the Blind Bear when a One Direction song came on. Diet Red Bull and vodka in hand, he sang every damn word of that song.

Wednesday night at Blind Bear karaoke, I saw an opportunity to get my two absolute favorite people to mess with on a stage together. “Allison is here,” I texted him. “She heard about your One Direction performance and she wants to sing a duet with you.”

He didn’t respond. I figured he was asleep. There’s a reason we call him Nappin’ Ass Nate.

By Thursday morning, though, I still hadn’t gotten a response. “That’s unlike him,” I thought. I expected at least an F-you from him. I went to Bardog and learned other people hadn’t heard from him in a couple of days either. By lunchtime at Local on Main, the concern level had grown to the point that the Blind Bear staff sent the police to his place to do a welfare check. Thirty minutes later, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Shit, dog. I’m gonna miss you. No matter how packed it gets, the Bear will seem empty without you.

Cocozza, the red-sauce Italian restaurant that is a sister restaurant to the Majestic Grille, is now open in Harbor Town. Hours are 4 to 9 Monday-Saturday. They have a full bar and will get beer later this month.

It’s Adoptable Pet Night at the Grizzlies. They play the Detroit Pistons at 7 and the first 5000 fans through the gate will get a 2023 Player Pet Calendar.

Politics news: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has left the Democratic Party. She is now an independent. She says she will continue to vote as she always has and will not caucus with the Republicans.

It’s National Llama Day.

I don’t feel like typing anymore. Back tomorrow or maybe Sunday.