Paul Ryburn's Journal

Well. That was not a good day for Memphis basketball.

The Tigers played some extremely sloppy basketball in Brooklyn, turning it over way too much and not carefully executing plans. They lost to Iowa State 78-59. Goodbye number 9 ranking, and there will be those who question whether the Tigers should even be in the Top 25. The Tigers travel to Athens Wednesday to take on Georgia. It’ll be another chance for a victory over a Power 5 opponent.

Back in Memphis, the Grizzlies lost Ja Morant in the first quarter to a possible knee sprain. They then went on to lose to the Atlanta Hawks, 132-100. The Grizzlies drop to 9-10, under the .500 mark, and fall to 8th-10th place in the Western Conference.  Next up: The Grizz host the Sacramento Kings tomorrow at 5.

The big event Downtown today is the Downtown Christmas tree lighting at the corner of Main and Peabody Place. From 4 to 6 this afternoon, you can get photos with Santa. There will be free hot chocolate, and the first 200 kids get free candy from Dinstuhl’s, whose Downtown shop is just steps away. The actual lighting of the approximately 50-foot-tall tree will happen about 4:30.

The remaining performances of The Lion King at the Orpheum have been canceled. Breakthrough COVID cases have been detected among the show’s cast and among the local crew. Read more

It’s that time of year when Santa Troll joins Perjorie on her Memphis adventures.

River City Records has a sweet deal going on: A Jensen Bluetooth turntable and Bluetooth speakers for $199.88. The turntable comes with a $75 gift card to River City Records, so you can get started building your collection. There are a limited number, so if you want one, get down there.

Have a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers? Make loaded nachos with them.

The new COVID variant that is wreaking havoc on South Africa and Botswana has a name now: Omicron. Travel bans are being issued to contain the new variant. Eventually there are going to be so many variants that they run out of greek letters. Maybe they could use Chinese characters since that’s where the virus originated.

Today is Movember, a day to raise awareness of men’s health, at Grind City Brewing Co. They’re open from noon to 10 PM. Here’s the schedule:

• Food trucks (Diamond Dave’s Pizza and Guru’s City Vegan 901) open for business at 12 PM
• Poker tournament starts at 2 PM; re-entry deadline 3:30
• Mustache judging at 5 PM
• Live music by Elevation Memphis 6-9 PM

Hollywood A-lister and the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, The Rock, proved this week that he is truly one of the good guys. He learned of a Navy veteran in need of a vehicle, a man who is a leader in his church and who prepares meals for women escaping domestic abuse. The Rock gave him a truck. But The Rock did not just stop by a car lot and pick something out – he gave the vet his own personal truck.

Use code THANKS through November 29 to get 25% off tickets to WWE Monday Night RAW held at FedExForum on December 6.

My Arkansas Razorbacks picked up a nice win over Missouri yesterday to improve to 8-4. The latest projection I’ve seen has the Hogs facing Clemson in the Gator Bowl. Sounds good to me.

DJ Superbrad plays ’80s and ’90s at Blind Bear tonight 9 to 1.

It’s Small Business Saturday, when you are encouraged to avoid the malls, big-box retailers, and national chains, and instead shop locally and support small business owners. My top two recommendations would be Feelin’ Memphis (509 S. Main) and Walking Pants Curiosities (109 G.E. Patterson). You will have no problem finding unique gifts at those two places, and you’ll be spending your dollars with people who are a part of the community.

As for me, I plan on doing some shopping for PBR at 3 great locally-owned businesses this morning, afternoon, and evening. Back tomorrow with more news.

I hope you had as happy a Thanksgiving as I did. I went out to see friends in Eads, where we had turkey and ham with all the trimmings:

I was stuffed. There was apple pie and ice cream for dessert.

The Memphis Tigers face an Iowa State team tonight that was terrible last year but which knocked off a Top 25 team in Xavier Wednesday night. It’s a chance to get a win over a Power 5 conference opponent. 8:30 tonight on ESPN2. The DM has a scouting report on Iowa State.

By the Brewery Restaurant at 496 Tennessee Street will host a Small Business Saturday Holiday Market where you can support local makers this Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. “Brunch, Lunch, & Shop a Bunch.”

The South Main district is getting a new convenience store. The CA reports that Big River Market in the Emerge Building, 516 Tennessee Street, will open in February. They’ll have breakfast tacos and sandwiches, convenience store fare, and beer and wine. They’ll also have a small patio fronting on G.E. Patterson Avenue. The market will create 10 jobs in the area.

Today is National Cake Day. My recommendation would be to visit Cheesecake Corner on G.E. Patterson. Then stop by next door at Max’s Sports Bar for a PBR.

Westy’s served holiday meals to the hungry yesterday for the 17th consecutive year.

The Grizzlies, in conjunction with the Shelby County Health Department, are hosting a COVID vaccination event tonight 5-7 PM. Those 12 and up can show up, get a dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and receive two free tickets for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

It’s the final weekend for The Lion King at the Orpheum.

There will be multiple vendors at Small Biz Saturday at Butterific Cafe, 488 S. Second, Saturday from noon to 7.

The Will Tucker Band plays Memphis Clover Cafe, at the corner of B.B. KIng and Court, tonight at 8.

As a professional writer, I study top writers in my field, and how they achieved success. Several of them built vision boards, collages that contained images of the life they want to manifest for themselves. For example, one aspiring writer wrote herself a $5000 check and put it on her vision board at the beginning of January 2020. It was a sign of her intention to earn $5000 in one month on the Medium platform.

In February 2020 she earned over $7700 on Medium. Now, obviously, she had to put in a lot of hard work to get there, but seeing the check many times a day, every day, opened an energetic connection that drew that success to her.

“Okay, Paul,” you’re probably asking right now. “This is a Downtown Memphis blog. Why are you telling us about vision boards?”

I’m glad you asked. Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe out in The Edge District is hosting a Vision Board Brunch on Sunday, January 2. There you will be able to eat, drink, and envision. You’ll get an all-you-can-eat brunch, bottomless mimosas, and all the supplies needed to create your board. Cost is $125 and space is limited. Chef Tam says this will be the first of many empowering experiences including talks with her, live music, and fun.

By the way, if you want to learn more about adjusting your energy to attract the life you want to you, two books I recommend are The Last Law of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Kap and You Are a Badass by Jen SIncero.

It’s the Friday after Thanksgiving – Black Friday as some people call it – and the majority of people who have corporate jobs have today off. Looking for something to do this afternoon? I invite you to join me at the Silly Goose for the best happy hour Downtown. It runs from noon to 7:30 – that’s not a typo, it’s seven and a half hours long – and features $2 domestics, $5 well drinks, and $5 house wine. The domestic options include 16 oz. cans of PBR and they have plenty of it. They will not run out, even with me there all afternoon.

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

The Memphis Tigers got their first signature win of the season last night, beating Virginia Tech in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off, 69-61. The Tigers advance to the finals of the tournament, playing Iowa State at 8:30 PM Friday. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

The Memphis Grizzlies, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well last night. They fell to Toronto, 126-113. That loss knocks them back to .500 and ties them with the L.A. Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves for 7th-10th place in the Western Conference. Ideally, the Grizzlies would like to finish 6th or better and avoid play-in scenarios.

Next up for the Grizz: At home vs. the Atlanta Hawks Friday. First 3000 fans receive Jaren Jackson Jr. slides.

In other Grizzlies news, Tony Allen has asked the Grizzlies to postpone his jersey retirement, which had been scheduled for January 28. The Grindfather has some legal matters he wants to get cleaned up first.

Bardog will open at 5 this afternoon and will have a $20 Thanksgiving special that includes

• Turkey
• Mashed potatoes
• Green bean casserole
• Cranberry sauce
• Sweet potato mash
• Pumpkin pie

Max’s Sports Bar will open at 5. They have eggnog slushies back just in time for the holiday season.

The Blind Bear opens at 6 and will also have a Thanksgiving special.

Silly Goose opens at 7.

For a list of more places open to the public on Thanksgiving, check out Holly’s blog.

Breakfast cereal is the next thing that’s about to get more expensive.

A woman has been charged with disorderly conduct and vandalism related to the damage done on and around Main Street early Tuesday morning. She’s also accused of throwing three rocks through the window of the Lansky store in the Peabody Hotel, shattering glass, damaging merchandise, and almost hitting a customer.

Makeda’s Cookies will name their chocolate chip cookie after Young Dolph. The rapper was shot and killed at their Airways store last week. He was a regular customer and the chocolate chip cookie was his favorite.

Exercise Unlimited at 387 S. Front will have a Small Business Saturday celebration this Saturday. There will be in-store discounts, live demonstrations of exercise equipment, and booths by other Downtown vendors.

That’s it for now. Heading out for Thanksgiving with wonderful friends here in a bit. Back tomorrow with more news.

Yesterday morning I walked out of my apartment building near Madison and Main, on a caffeine run to Walgreens. I noticed that the two large lion’s head concrete planters that sit outside the building’s front door had been dumped over on their side.

Later in the day, I read a news story (hey, there’s Zach!) that reported similar damage elsewhere on South Main, as far as 9 or 10 blocks away from where I live. Urevbu Contemporary, an art gallery at Main and Huling, had planters out front that were damaged or destroyed, and Grecian Gourmet in the same block reported similar damage. Further up Main, a restaurant had some of its patio furniture thrown out into the street.

From a discussion I saw on Facebook, it appears a woman, by herself, in a trench coat got asked to leave Central Station a little after 2 yesterday morning and went on a vandalism spree. She must have been strong (or on something) to flip over those planters outside my building having already walked nearly a mile. I bet those things weigh 100 pounds apiece.

It’s Thanksgiving Eve! This is one of the busiest going-out nights of the year. Expect the bars to start filling up in the early afternoon as employees get the long-awaited “you can leave early” email.

The Memphis Tigers play on national television tonight. They’ll take on Virginia Tech in the first round of the NIT Pre-Season Tournament. 6:30 PM on ESPN2. A win over the Hokies would likely be considered a “quality win” in the eyes of the NCAA tournament committee.

The Grizzlies host the Toronto Raptors tonight at 7.

Memphis Hungry Turkey 5K starts Thanksgiving morning at 8:30 at Bass Pro at the Pyramid.

Violinist Lindsey Stirling performs at the Cannon Center Friday night.

DJ Superbrad hosts ’80s Into ’90s Night Saturday at the Blind Bear starting at 9 PM.

Want to be a well-liked Thanksgiving guest? Stop by The Peanut Shoppe at 24 S. Main today and pick up some nuts to take with you. I believe the hours today are 10 AM to 5 PM. Note that since it is a rather small enclosed space, the owners require that you wear a face mask when inside the shop.

This will come as no surprise for those who like to listen to the Memphis Police scanner: The Peppertree Apartments have been declared a public nuisance. It’s rare that I listen to the scanner for any length of time and NOT hear a call to Peppertree.

Bad news for craft beer drinkers: The price of canned craft beer is expected to go up next year

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has his first Nike TV ad: Question those who question your game

Very cool: The Shelby County Health Department received a million-dollar grant to fight crime. Dr. Bruce Randolph, County Health Officer, said they are treating crime as an infectious disease. They hope to place “interrupters” in the streets, people who are known and respected by both sides, who can calm things down and prevent chains of murders from happening. Certainly sounds worth a try, because traditional policing tactics sure aren’t preventing murders.

It’s time to take a look at college football games of interest to those in the Mid-South this weekend. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.

• 9 Ole Miss at Mississippi State (Egg Bowl), 6:30 PM Thanksgiving, ESPN
• 4 Cincinnati at East Carolina, 2:30 PM Friday, ABC
• Missouri at 25 Arkansas, 2:30 PM Friday, CBS
• 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech, 11 AM, CBS
• 2 Ohio State at 5 Michigan, 11 AM, FOX
• Florida State at Florida (Sunshine Showdown), 11 AM, ESPN
• Texas Tech at 8 Baylor, 11 AM, FS1
• Texas State at Arkansas State, 1 PM, ESPN+
• 3 Alabama at Auburn (Iron Bowl), 2:30 PM, CBS
• Vanderbilt at Tennessee, 2:45 PM, SEC Network
• 15 Texas A&M at LSU, 6 PM, ESPN
• 10 Oklahoma at 7 Oklahoma State (Bedlam), 6:30 PM, ABC
• Tulane at Memphis, 6:30 PM, ESPNU
• 6 Notre Dame at Stanford, 7 PM, FOX

Bleacher Report: Chaos looms for College Football Playoff discusses the scenarios in which each of the top 8 teams would get in.

Well, I fell down a rabbit hole yesterday, reading answers Stewart Cook posted to questions asked on Quora. Stewart is a life coach who helps people who have been victims of people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. That’s different from a therapist in a couple of ways:

• Many therapists haven’t personally experienced someone with NPD and therefore don’t know what they’re talking about, other than what they’ve read from textbooks; and
• Against narcissists, you have to fight dirty, and therapists’ code of ethics prevents them from advising you to do that. Life coaches can tell you whatever they want.

What are the biggest signs that you may be dealing with someone with NPD and would benefit from talking to a coach like Stewart? In my opinion, they are

1. You catch someone openly, BRAZENLY lying to you, and they couldn’t seem to care less that you caught them lying… yet, they’re generally such a likable and charming person that it just doesn’t add up
2. You’re in a relationship, and you just can’t shake the feeling that your partner or spouse is hiding things – possibly BIG things, possibly a LOT of things – from you

View Stewart’s profile and answers on Quora

Unless I have highly timely or urgent news, I will take tomorrow off from posting. Thanksgiving is a slow news day and I’m hitting the road early to celebrate with friends. Back Friday with more.

Welcome to my first post typed on my new MacBook Air! I am so happy to have it. After my old laptop’s trackpad became unreliable, I decided to return to the cult of the Mac. I got on the Amazon app on my phone and ordered a new computer. But, I have some words of caution about that.

I ordered the MacBook Air on Thursday, November 11. When I checked out, Amazon told me I had three shipping options:

• Become a Prime member and get my package Saturday, November 13
• Pay for regular shipping and get it Sunday, November 14
• Choose free Super Saver shipping and get it Tuesday, November 16

Never had I ever had a problem with Super Saver shipping. I’ve ordered using that method many times before, and my packages usually arrived in 2 days and always in 3. Since the old laptop was still working, my need for the MacBook was not urgent. So I choose Super Saver.

Boy, was that a mistake.

Tuesday, November 16 I checked the tracker. It said the carrier had the package and that it should be delivered no later than 10 PM. It also informed me the carrier was Amazon itself, rather than a third party. That’s good, I thought. My worst fear anytime I order something online is that it will be handed off to the U.S. Postal Service.

I checked my email throughout the day for notification of delivery. I never got it. I got home that evening and reloaded the tracker. “We’re sorry for the delay. Your package should arrive November 17-18.”

Wednesday, November 17 came and went. No delivery. The tracker now read, “We’re sorry for the delay. Your package should arrive November 18.”

Thursday, November 18 came and went. No delivery. Now the tracker read, “We’re sorry for the delay. Your package should arrive November 17-24.”

ARE YOU F’N KIDDING ME??? I was beginning to wonder if Amazon’s tracker was a total lie and my package hadn’t even left the warehouse yet. I was being told that my package might arrive more than a week later than my promised date. In 1972 that kind of service was acceptable. In 2021, not so much.

Here’s my theory: Since Amazon no longer uses third-party carriers, they have control of the package all the way to the destination. Therefore, they can bump Super Saver-shipped packages as much as they choose to accommodate Prime customers. I wouldn’t have a problem with that if they informed customers of that practice at the time of checkout.

I wonder if executives are hoping that I’ll come to the conclusion that I better join Prime so I’ll get expedited packages in the future. Actually, the conclusion I have come to is that I’ll shop somewhere else next time I’m in the market for a computer.

But then, this is a Mac, so I probably won’t need to go computer shopping for another 7 to 10 years.

I didn’t realize when I was placing my order that Macs come in more than one color now. So I ended up with a “Rose Gold” laptop. Had I been paying attention, I would’ve chosen differently, but I’ll learn to love it.

On to the news…

Following the shooting death of Young Dolph, Makeda’s cookies reopened its Downtown location this week. There’s a GoFundMe set up for repairs to the Airways location, which was shot up. These are wonderful local businesspeople who have had a connection to Downtown for years.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association will not have a typical meeting for the month of December. Instead, they will have a Soup, Socks, and Scarves event on Tuesday, December 21 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the corner of Main and Peabody Place. DNA members who can do so are asked to come and hand out those items to our Downtown neighbors. If you want to drop off socks and scarves, the location is BankTennessee at 30 N. Second (ask for Michelle). As for the soup, it will be provided by Chef Elijah Townsend, DNA president-elect.

Jennifer Biggs of the DM has a look at the empanadas and arepas at Sabor Caribe in her $10 Deals column this week. The Venezuelan restaurant is located on Madison Avenue in The Edge.

The Blind Bear will open at 6 PM Thanksgiving evening and they are definitely planning a turkey special – as a matter of fact, I was up there Sunday and they were asking my opinion on how many turkeys to order. “As many as you can get,” I told them.

Now that’s the Jaren we wanted to see! Jaren Jackson Jr. hit a three last night to give the Memphis Grizzlies a win over the Utah Jazz, 119-118.

JAREN JACKSON JR. WINS THE TAP AND DRAINS THE THREE FOR THE @memgrizz WIN! pic.twitter.com/nkPEgWaiM0

— NBA (@NBA) November 23, 2021

The Grizzlies are now tied with Portland and Denver for 6th-8th in the Western Conference. Next up: A home game vs. Toronto tomorrow night at 7.

The Peanut Shoppe’s 2-story-tall PEANUTS sign is still for sale. The owner can’t take it to the new location at 121 S. Main when he moves after the first of the year. Reminds me, I’ve got to go see Rida about some nuts to take to Thanksgiving.

Speaking of nuts, did you know that today is National Cashew Day?

That’s it for now. You know, this Rose Gold MacBook is starting to grow on me. Very Roaring Twenties. I’ve got a to-do list as long as my arm today, so I won’t be out early. Apologies for any typos – I’m still learning this keyboard. Back tomorrow with more news.

I rarely go three days without posting, and it prompted a few readers to send “you ok?” emails. Yes, totally. I’ve just been out in the world, living life and loving life.

I had a fantastic birthday on Thursday. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I needed to get a good meal in me as a base. I walked over to the food truck rodeo in Court Square.

Fried fish from Mr. Frazier’s Fish Fry sounded like the perfect choice to soak up the shots that I knew were coming. Those are crabby fries in the upper right, fries covered in lump crabmeat in two kinds of cheeses.

After lunch it was time to get the day started. I led off at the Silly Goose.

Nate (center in photo above) has a doppelganger who was walking around outside the Goose on his phone. We need to get a photo of them together. I think he works somewhere nearby.

About 3:00 the cake came out.

It was a turtle ice cream cake. I’m not sure where it came from (I think possibly Margie’s 901) but I will ask and let you know.

I told them I was limiting myself to one shot between noon and 8. Of course, that plan went completely out the window within 45 minutes of getting there. By the fifth or so shot I was looking a bit rough:

We weren’t done, though. From there, it was time for a quick trip around the corner to the Blind Bear.

(Dammit – got one more that is a GREAT group pic of us at the bar at Blind Bear, but WordPress is giving me an HTTP error when I try to upload.)

Thanks to everyone who celebrated with me and/or wished me a happy birthday. I’ll repeat what I said on Facebook – To know that I am loved by so many amazing people is the best birthday present I could ever ask for.

Got a couple more pics too:

Crickets! This was our Friday adventure at the Goose. There’s a candy store on Beale Street between Miss Polly’s Cafe and the King’s Palace patio. They sell packs of edible crickets there. Someone brought them back and all of us (except one) ate a cricket. Even Jessica, the bartender, ate one. I have pictures of that but I’m not allowed to post them.

A few people commented, “Gross,” but they’re really not. The reason I wouldn’t pick up a cricket off the street and eat it is that it could have all kinds of bacteria and diseases. Commercially-sold food crickets have been sanitized, though. They’re as safe to eat as a Dorito. They’re an excellent source of protein and in some parts of the world, they are delicacies.

Here’s a recipe for cricket tacos that is said to be popular in Mexico. I have Mexican readers – do you eat these?

Next topic: Have you ever gone to a bar and the music is turned too loud? Or turned so low that you can barely even hear it? Well, there’s an app that you can install on your phone to measure how loud it is.

I got the Decibel Meter app for my iPhone on Saturday. Decibels are a measure of loudness. Here’s a chart for decibel levels of common sounds.

I started off by establishing a baseline. I set Decibel Meter on my kitchen counter, a few feet away from a humming refrigerator in an otherwise quiet apartment. It measured 47-51 db.

Then I took the app to Bardog. There had been a request to turn the music up and it was loud, but just slightly. The app measured 77-91 db with an average in the low 80s.

I turned it on once again as one song finished playing and another had yet to start – so I was capturing the loudness of only the ambient conversation in the two-thirds-full bar, without any music. It measured 75-81 db, not much lower than when the music had been playing. That surprised me at first, but thinking about it more, you want the music to be only slightly louder than the conversation around you, so you can talk to the person next to you without going “Huh???” over and over again.

I suspect the sweet spot is the low 80s, but I need to do a little more research. When the bar is packed, I would bet the ambient conversation noise alone would be in the mid 80s, so readings inching up to 90 and above would become more appropriate.

I have yet to use the meter in a bar where the music is playing WAY TOO LOUD, so I will have to come back with an update on that measure.

Anyway, just wanted to inform you that this thing exists. If you’re a bartender who constantly gets “the music’s not loud enough” complaints, this is a tool that would allow you to establish a definitive baseline for “loud enough.”

Word on Nextdoor is that thieves are stealing license plates in Uptown. Might want to bolt yours down with anti-theft bolts if you live in that area.

Starting November 24, you will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or recent negative COVID test to attend Grizzlies games. The Grizzlies are on the road tonight to face Utah at 8:00. They will be back home Wednesday to host Toronto.

That’s the news for now. Thanksgiving is a slow news week, so I’ll be back when there’s stuff to report.

A number of people reported on Nextdoor that they felt their homes shake shortly before 10 PM last night. There was a magnitude 3.7 earthquake in southeast Missouri. I hope that’s just a small slip in a tectonic plate and not a forewarning of “The Big One.”

Yesterday was a sad and shocking day for our Memphis community. There was a murder at the Makeda’s Cookies on Airways and Ketchum, and it was confirmed to be 36-year-old Memphis-born rap artist Young Dolph.

Whoever planned the murder knew Young Dolph’s routine. He had bulletproof cars and tight security, but everyone becomes vulnerable at some point. For Dolph, this was when he stopped to indulge in his love of chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. The shooters knew this and had a clear shot.

As the story unfolded, I couldn’t help but think, “This reminds me of Albert Anastasia.”

In 1957, Anastasia was in his 6th year as boss of one of the Five Families of New York City. Vito Genovese, boss of a rival family, hated “Don Umberto” and wanted him removed as head of the Anastasia family. But Anastasia, the former head of an organization known as Murder Inc., was a dangerous and paranoid man. Like Young Dolph, he had security and bulletproof cars.

Everyone has to get haircuts, though. Genovese’s shooters learned when he’d be stopping by the barbershop and moved in for the kill. As was the case with Dolph, they got him in a rare moment of vulnerability. Genovese then arranged for Anastasia’s underboss, Carlo Gambino, who he perceived to be an ally, to be installed as head of what then became known as the Gambino family.

Y’all, please show Makeda’s Cookies some love. The murder happened at the store at Airways and Ketchum, but they had a Downtown store at 488 S. Second for years and now have a bakery and warehouse at 301 Jefferson. You can order their cookies online.

Young Dolph was well-known Downtown, having performed at Memphis Madness and at Grizzlies halftime shows. He was in town this week to visit a sick aunt and to hold a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway in the neighborhood where he grew up.

There were calls for a curfew yesterday to prevent possible retaliation, but none was implemented.

Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty, and others posted their reactions to Young Dolph’s death.

The Memphis Grizzlies, who had a rare two consecutive days off between games, lent a hand at the Mid-South Food Bank yesterday. They’re back in action tonight, hosting the L.A. Clippers at 7.

You can now drink the greatest beer in the world while looking at animals. The Memphis Zoo now has PBR on draft.

Beale Street is planning “an amazing holiday experience” Friday, December 3 and Friday, December 10 5-7 PM. There will be holiday music, free hot chocolate, and free photos with Santa.

The Board of Adjustment postponed the discussion of a new 7-story St. Jude parking garage until its December 22 meeting. Plans for the garage are opposed heavily by those who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. The delay will give St. Jude a chance to meet with residents and come up with a design that is friendly to all. Jerred Price, president of DNA, thinks traffic studies and environmental studies need to be done as well.

Speaking of DNA, don’t forget, its big year-end meeting is tonight at the Renasant Convention Center. State of Downtown address, guest speakers, election of new board members, live music, food and drink, tours of the new convention center. Social hour at 5, presentation at 6.

I got a pro tip from a cook yesterday: If you like the flamin’ hot Cheetos, sprinkle a little lemon salt on them. It’ll really bring out the flavor.

The Grizzlies are hosting a Grizz Shop Local event Saturday, November 27 from 3-6 PM in the Grand Lobby of FedExForum. Area small businesses will be on hand, and there will be exclusive promotions for those who come out and shop. Get a free order of pretzel bites at WynnBET Sports Bar with any purchase.

Downtown employees: If you have to come to work between 6:30 and 11:30 AM Saturday, December 4, the day of the St. Jude Marathon, there will be a Downtown employee parking lot (free parking) at 216 Court Ave. To get there coming from the east, take the Jefferson Ave. bridge over Danny Thomas Blvd., then turn left on N. Fourth St. The Blue Suede Brigade will staff the lot and employees will need to sign a parking log.

The following roads will be closed 6:30-11:30 AM on race day:

• Beale
• Vance
• Second
• Front
• Huling
• St. Martin
• G.E. Patterson
• E. Butler
• Danny Thomas Blvd. (closed 6:30 AM-4:30 PM)
• Union Ave. (no traffic or vehicular parking 1 PM Dec.3-6 PM Dec. 4 between B.B. King and Danny Thomas)
• B.B. King (no traffic or vehicular parking 10 PM Dec.3-noon Dec. 4 between Vance and A.W. Willis)

More info at stjude.org/marathonneighbors

Here’s a list of trucks for today’s Court Square food truck rodeo.

It’s my birthday! I’ve been ordered to eat a huge lunch so I’ll be ready for a celebration this afternoon, so I’ll probably hit the food truck rodeo at 11. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

It’s that time of year! Yesterday I took a walk down Peabody Place and saw workers assembling the Downtown Christmas tree.

The Memphis Tigers put away Saint Louis 90-74 last night at FedExForum. Next up is a home game against Western Kentucky on Friday. After that, the Tigers travel to Brooklyn for the NIT Season Tip-Off and a chance to get a pair of wins that could impress the tournament selection committee in March.

The Flyer reports that the food hall at 409 S. Main has taken on a new life, now occupied by a catering company. They will eventually open a restaurant as well. Chef de cuisine Meredith Gardner Clinton is a former sous chef at Erling Jensen.

The Pancho’s Cheese Dip brand has been sold to Minnesota food company Sabrosura Foods.

FedExForum is hiring Guest Services Hosts (part-time). They’ll hold open interviews for the positions 4-7 PM today. More information

New Orleans has announced it will extend its vaccine mandate through at least Mardi Gras 2022. If you want to get into the bars down there, you will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test less than 72 hours old.

Let’s have a look at this weekend’s college football games of interest to folks in the Mid-South. All games are played Saturday unless otherwise noted.

• Memphis at 24 Houston, 8:00 PM Friday, ESPN2
• 7 Michigan State at 4 Ohio State, 11:00 AM, ABC
• Arkansas State at Georgia State, 1:00 PM, ESPN3
• 21 Arkansas at 2 Alabama, 2:30 PM, CBS
• SMU at 5 Cincinnati, 2:30 PM, ESPN
• 3 Oregon at 23 Utah, 6:30 PM, ABC
• Vanderbilt at 12 Ole Miss, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
• South Alabama at Tennessee, 6:30 PM, ESPNU

Those who want to see Cincinnati in the playoff will call the Hogs and root for the Utes on Saturday. I don’t think the Michigan State-Ohio State game matters in that respect – if the Spartans win, I bet the committee jumps them over Cincinnati into 4th place.

CBS Sports has updated its college football bowl projections and the teams for the Liberty Bowl have changed. They now have good ole West Virginny and Florida slotted to play in Memphis on December 28.

I’d love to have West Virginia here again. I met some of their fans at Bardog the Saturday and Sunday before the 2014 game, and they were the nicest, most down-to-earth folks ever. I can’t say I’m that excited about Florida coming here, because their football program sucks this year and they really don’t deserve to be in a bowl game.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

Momma’s, the bar at Crump and Kentucky, has announced construction of a Double-Wide Deck. They’re making the patio even larger for drinking, dining, and live music.

Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will come to FedExForum on Saturday, February 19. Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Friday at 10.

The crispy chicken sandwich, which had been a once-a-week lunch special at Majestic Grille, became so popular that they added it to the regular lunch menu. It comes with two chicken breasts, pickled cucumber and red onion, tomato, and honey mustard on a toasted brioche bun. They’re open for lunch Wednesday-Friday and you can dine in, dine on the patio, get it to go, or have it delivered via DoorDash.

Choose901 describes what to expect when the Brooks Museum moves Downtown in 2026.

Random fact I learned yesterday: There are decibel meter apps you can install on your phone that measure how loud it is in the room. Those would settle a lot of bar debates on whether the music is turned up loud enough.

The DMC has filed a permit for construction of the Downtown Mobility Center on the block between Front, Main, Peabody Place, and Beale which is currently a parking lot.

You can now get a 9-inch Reese’s peanut butter cup just in time for Thanksgiving dessert.

The Grizzlies defeated Houston 136-102 last night to claw back to .500. They moved up to 8th place in the Western Conference.

The James Lee House, the 173-year-old mansion at 690 Adams that is a bed & breakfast, has new owners. They plan on making the house more accessible to the public. You can make reservations to stay in the house here with suites ranging from around $280 to $400 per night.

Memphis Made Brewing Co. has released a Nut Remix beer in support of their neighbors the New Ballet Ensemble. The nut brown ale has caramel, chocolate, and walnut flavors.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team faces its first real challenge of the season as they host the Saint Louis Billikens tonight.

ABC 24 has a look at growing pains in Uptown and the Pinch District. The DM has a report of yesterday’s press conference opposing the planned St. Jude parking garage on A.W. Willis.

It’s Have a Party With Your Bear Day, a holiday I will most definitely celebrate this evening.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

Jennifer Biggs of the DM has an awesome article about the Craft Food & Wine Festival, which returns to The Columns at One Commerce Square Sunday with 3 PM and 6 PM time slots available. The festival is organized by Cristina McCarter, a local entrepreneur. You may have seen her conducting food tours at restaurants like Pontotoc Lounge and Rizzo’s. Cristina also owns Feast & Graze, creating custom, hand-delivered charcuterie boards. If you’re a foodie, I highly recommend you buy a ticket and check this out.

The festival is unique in that it features more than just restaurants – it puts the spotlight on locally-produced artisanal food products. Arbo’s cheese dip and Mane Street Provisions are two products/producers you may have heard of.

Christina and her business partner Lisa Brown also own City Tasting Box, which delivers boxes of curated Memphis artisanal products right to your door. Check out this StyleBlueprint article on City Tasting Box.

Travel website Van Life Wanderer asks, is Memphis safe?

The Grizzlies host the Houston Rockets tonight at 7.

A woman is accused of hitting and biting a police officer following an incident at the Green Room on Beale Street Saturday night. She is due in court today to be arraigned on charges of assault, resisting arrest, and public intoxication.

If you walk the Main Street Mall, be careful this time of year. When leaves cover the ground, it can be easy to miss a loose brick or a hole in the ground where there’s a tree planter.

The Memphis women’s soccer team defeated LSU 3-0 to advance in the NCAA tournament. Next up is No. 1 seed Duke, apparently as good at soccer as they are at basketball, on Friday.

I’m the password at the Blind Bear this Friday, so feel free to drop my name at the door (“Paul sent me”) to get a few bucks knocked off your cover charge that evening. They have a house band on Fridays, the Albert King Jr. Band, that plays 8-12. They do a great job setting the speakeasy mood, and from 9-11 they’re the backing band for Velvetina’s Speakeasy Burlesque.

I have to comment, Velvetina has devised a classy way of soliciting tips for herself and her dancers. She leaves envelopes – “love notes from me to you” – on the bar and on each table. If you enjoy the performance and wish to leave a tip, you simply put money in the envelope and she’ll come back at the end of the night and pick it up. She also includes a CashApp address in each love note for those who prefer to tip digitally. It’s a very elegant and non-intrusive way to handle it. So, if you’ve been avoiding the burlesque shows because you were afraid you’d have performers in your face hounding you for tips all evening long, you have nothing to fear. Come on down.

From Fox 13 News: Residents voice opposition to St. Jude parking garage

Also from Fox 13: “Memphis Jookin’: The Show” is coming soon to the Orpheum

That’s it for now. Back Tuesday if this laptop cooperates.