Bardog is delivering

From Bloom who works there:

Y’all don’t forget, Bardog Tavern is delivering downtown! Seriously they’re there all day today and are ready to feed you. And they’ll bring you some bottled beer with your order!

Menu

Sunday update #1: That ’70s Show marathon on rabbit ears today at noon

You may have noticed I blogged yesterday about a couple of Downtown bars  now selling to-go beers. This is because the Memphis Alcohol Commission unanimously voted to allow delivery and take-out of beer for now, to allow restaurants to reduce existing inventory. Sales will be allowed until the Memphis-wide state of emergency is called off by the mayor. Draft beer that is sold must be in a sealed container.

The Blind Bear will be open 11 AM-9 PM for to-go food and beer. They have these 64 oz. collectible growlers for $25.

Lifehacker has a way for you to watch Broadway shows for free while you’re holed up at home for a while. You have to sign up for a free service called BroadwayHD, then cancel before your free 7-day trial runs out, but as Lifehacker points out, when you’re stuck at home you can watch a lot of musicals in 7 days. Not quite the same as going to the Orpheum, but it’ll do in a pinch!

Volunteer Memphis has a number of different volunteer opportunities you can pursue even while COVID-19 is raging. There are tasks like donating blood and organizing food bank shipments, as well as virtual volunteering including mentoring online, answering a crisis text line, or helping to scan books into a collection readable by those with print disabilities.

Let’s hear it for the good guys: Some landlords around town are reaching out to their restaurant tenants and telling them, you can tear up your April rent check. Some of them are even promising that if things don’t get better by May, you’re off the hook for rent that month too. This is the kind of generosity that is going to save small business from failure and help the coronavirus recession from blowing up into a full depression. We all have to work together to beat this pandemic.

Let’s hear it for more good guys: Owner Josh Huckaby and his folks at the Green Beetle worked hard to provide a meal for the employees of a local Kroger who had been working their butts off to keep the shelves stocked and everything sanitized. Unfortunately the Beetle announced yesterday was their last day of take-out and they’ll see you all once the quarantine is lifted. Definitely go out and support them when they get back open!

Let’s hear it for even more good guys:

Here’s a comprehensive list of services, help paying bills, and other resources for those affected by coronavirus in the 38103. Over 1700 resources total. (h/t Scott Finney AKA @finnious on Twitter)

News about Jerry Lawler’s place on Beale:

They subsequently tweeted three specials going on this weekend:

  • $10 for a generous portion of pulled pork, BBQ ribs, fries, beans, and coleslaw
  • $6 for The King’s classic smoked sausage and cheese platter
  • $6 for five fried wings with your choice of sauce

Max’s Sports Bar will re-open today for all your to-go and delivery needs, and henceforth they will be open 11 AM-9 PM daily. They’ll have to-go beers, subs, BBQ nachos, hot dogs, and maybe some limited menu items to keep things interesting.

Kroger is hiring. 120 positions currently open in the Memphis metro. I’m told that Aldi, Amazon, and Costco are hiring too.

LOL I bet there are some women freaking out about this coronavirus thing. If they can’t go to the hair salon for 8-10 weeks, their roots are gonna be showing and their extensions are gonna be looking all scraggly.

The Daily Memphian coronavirus blog had a couple of items that affect Downtown. First of all, a St. Jude employee tested positive for COVID-19, and this person worked in patient care. Considering people can incubate the virus for 5 days before showing symptoms, that could be bad.

Secondly, Mayor Strickland has extended his emergency order to close more types of businesses Saturday at midnight, including

  • Cigar bars that allow in-store consumption. Oh man… there’s a pretty sizable cigar scene Downtown. Some really good people. Sad day for them.
  • Hookah bars offering products for on-site consumption. So, if Flava House Lounge wasn’t already closed, it is now.
  • Theaters, cinemas, and indoor and outdoor performance venues, although I think all of the ones Downtown had voluntarily closed already (Malco Powerhouse, Orpheum)
  • Bowling alleys, although I think the one Downtown (inside Bass Pro) had already closed voluntarily
  • Indoor climbing facilities, indoor skating rings, trampoline parks, vaping lounges
  • Country clubs (only for dine-in and on-site consumption)

From the CA: An empty Beale Street follows Memphis’ new coronavirus rules

There’s a That ’70s Show marathon on Laff TV (rabbit ears 24.2) noon to 7:30 PM. I found that show on TV last night and had forgotten how good it was. The fact that this news item not only made it into this post, but the post’s title as well, shows how desperate for entertainment we are.

I used to watch That ’70s Show with my mom. You know those scenes where they’d be in the basement and the lights were turned down and the camera would pan around the circular table with the teenagers seated? I asked my mom, “There’s an object that’s being passed around, but always outside of camera range. Do you know what it is?”

She didn’t know.

I said, “Well, why do you think it’s so smoky in those scenes?”

She had no idea.

After my four episodes of That ’70s Show went off the air last night, Home Improvement came on. That show is maybe 5% as funny as That ’70s Show.

I did some research this weekend on the Great Depression and found these numbers:

  • September 3, 1929: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 381.17, its highest close ever to that point.
  • July 8, 1932: The Dow closed at 41.22. That means the Dow lost nearly NINETY PERCENT of its value in less than three years. Fortunes were truly lost.
  • The Dow did not see a close above the 381.17 mark for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, in 1954.

Think the Dow could fall 90% from its high again because of the coronavirus pandemic? When I initially posed that question to myself, I thought, nah, 50% has got to be the most. But look at the numbers:

  • The Dow had an all-time high of 29,588.57 around Valentine’s Day.
  • The Dow closed at 19, 173.98 Friday. That means the Dow has already shed 35% of its value in 5 weeks’ time.

Does anyone think the economic impact of COVID-19 has been fully priced into the stock market? I sure as hell don’t. I think if we’re shuttered in our homes until June, we’ll see a four-digit Dow, which would mean a two-thirds loss of value.

This is scary AF y’all.

Probably back with more news throughout the day, because let’s face it, what else do I have to do?

Flying Saucer news

The Flying Saucer is now offering to-go beer. They have growler fills, $10 for a 32 oz. and $20 for a 64 oz. of any beer on the tap wall, and they are also selling bottles and cans to go.

UFO members can turn in as many chits as they want for cans and bottles they purchase to go, and get credit for growler fills as well – since the beers won’t be consumed on site, the maximum 3 a day limit does not apply.

Blind Bear news including to-go beer

Updated info from Jeannette 12:04 PM:

Togo soda & tea $2
Red Bull $4
Dinner & Brunch menus offered
Togo Draft (bring own sealable container) have some Togo cups with lids
Togo Bottle & Can Beer
Also

Get Lifted

is delivering for tips

Beer prices depend on quantity
All Togo or delivery only

Original post, from their Facebook feed:

Blind Bear is doing Togo and Uber eats (I think they aren’t charging the customer just take a cut of ours)
*11am-5:30pm daily (Jeannette said they will stay open later if there are incoming orders later into the evening)

*Uber eats has Dinner menu only
*Togo’s you can do Brunch or Dinner menu

Until we make enough to cover at least the last payroll or run out of food.

*If need delivery let us know we can most likely get that done especially downtown

***update- Get Lifted is driving so for nice tips he will bring your food/body/store run, whatever you need.

Menus at:
Www.BlindBearMemphis.com

(Click menu pages below to view in a larger size)

Crawfish mac & cheese #taste901togo

Rizzo’s news

From Chef Michael Patrick:

They are having some trouble uploading their brunch menu but they are doing brunch today. Take a look at the menu on their website and then call them at 901-304-6985 if you want a brunch order to be picked up curbside.

Saturday update #2: Share your story

An idea for my readers who are looking for something to fill the time…

Why not start a blog of your own? Why not have a place to tell the world who you are, what your relationship is to the community, and how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting you. It can be updated as frequently or infrequently as you feel the need. It doesn’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize candidate. Heck, ignore spelling and even grammar. Just tell your readers, in your own words, what you’e experiencing and how you feel about it.

This is a real opportunity to leave something valuable for posterity. This is the first national catastrophe when every citizen can easily leave their words behind. I only have a personal connection to the Great Depression and World War II because I grew up with a grandmother who lived through those events. Blogging was around in the aftermath of 9/11, but not widely adopted. At the time I scoffed at the idea of writing a “blog” – it seemed so hipsterish that I thought, if I start blogging, what would come next, adopting PBR as my beer of choice?

Think of students studying this year’s coronavirus outbreak in 2090. Not only will they have textbooks and copies of articles that appeared in the media to study – they will have real, first-hand accounts from everyday people. They’ll have motivation to make sure no pandemic ever gets this out of control again.

Also, think of adults in 2090, reading our accounts. “Oh, this person wrote about what it’s like to teach remotely… I’m a teacher, I can relate to that.” Or, “I make good money at my restaurant… here’s a person who did the same and then lost all her income for three months.” Or, “You know the problem we have with people parking their jet teleporters carelessly? Looks like in 2020, they had the same problem with Bird scooters.”

It is very easy, and free, to set up a blog. Go to wordpress.com to get started. That’s the very same engine I use to write this blog, but without having to worry about things like web hosting and domain names. You get to select a theme for your blog from hundreds of different templates. The interface to create posts is very similar to Microsoft Word. You can have your first post up and visible to the world in as little as half an hour.

If anyone takes me up on this suggestion, by all means send me a link to your blog when you get it live: Email me at paul@paulryburn.com. Also feel free to email me if you have technical questions about using WordPress or if you want writing tips.

Keep scrolling down for my morning news post. Back probably a couple more times today with more.

Saturday update #1 of what will probably be several today

I took a walk Friday afternoon. That’s as exciting as my day got yesterday.

And that’s the way it should be. No, I didn’t have the Friday I wanted. But… I have a neighbor who lives on the floor below me who is in his late eighties if he hasn’t already hit the big 9-0 by now. Super, super good guy who is the life of our building Christmas parties, dancing with all the ladies. If isolating myself from people decreases the chance even slightly that he will get the coronavirus, then that’s what I need to do.

My walk took me south on Main to Peabody Place, then back up Second to Union, then to Main and then home. On the way I noticed

  • Maciel’s is open for take-out
  • Blind Bear is open for take-out (serving to-go and Uber Eats 11 AM-5:30 PM)
  • Silly Goose appeared closed
  • Flying Saucer is open for take-out, and is giving 15% off to Downtown residents
  • Flying Fish is open for take-out
  • Kooky Canuck was closed (I think its Cordova location may be open for take-out, though)
  • Huey’s is open for take-out

I had a few people ask me Thursday, after the bar closings had been announced, if my first stop of the day Friday would be City Market to pick up an 18-pack of PBR. No. I don’t drink at home. I just don’t see the point. Occasionally I have done a shot at home, but only if I’m really stressed out, and as of right now I am not stressed out. Bummed out, yes, but that’s different.

Any other restaurants besides the Saucer doing discounts for Downtown residents?

I think I mentioned earlier that I had friends on the way to a 6-week camping trip to Copper Canyon, Mexico, and I wondered whether they would make it across the border before it closed. They did not. They have an alternate camping trip in the Southwest United States, well-isolated from other people, which they fell back on.

Spirits and Soul Fest, which was scheduled for April 24-25, has been canceled.

The Peabody has canceled the following events:

  • Easter Bunny Tea at Chez Philippe March 29 and April 5
  • Master Taster’s Club April 1 tasting event
  • Easter Brunch on April 12
  • Rooftop party season will delay opening (was to be April 16)

The 11 AM and 5 PM duck marches continue, but the history presentation associated with the marches has been canceled and social distancing is encouraged.

The Peabody’s rooftop, meeting rooms, Feathers Spa, the Peabody Athletic Club (including pool and sauna), Chez Philippe, the Lobby Bar, and the Corner Bar are all closed. Capriccio Grill is open for take-out, curbside, and GrubHub delivery 8 AM-8 PM. Peabody Deli & Desserts is open for to-go orders 8 AM-8 PM. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased at Peabody Deli & Desserts provided they are consumed on hotel premises.

From the Memphis River Parks Partnership:

I bet a lot of you have been wondering, “How’s Perjorie T. Roll been holding up through this coronavirus pandemic?” She has been holding up well and is in good spirits.

Here’s a pic of Perjorie T. Roll standing next to a package of toilet paper.

And here’s a pic of Perjorie T. Roll standing next to a bottle of bleach cleaner.

She was super excited about standing next to the cleaner because the bottle is mostly the same color as her hair.

Bass Pro at the Pyramid is open 10 AM-7 PM effective today. On the weekdays they will open one hour earlier for seniors to shop. Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl Grill, The Lookout Restaurant, and the 28-story elevator and observation deck will all be closed. The pistol range will be closed as well.

Max’s Sports Bar announced that they are shutting down their to-go and delivery services for a couple of days while they tweak the menu and make some changes to their overall operation.

Memphis Tourism is hosting a free, live, virtual music festival on Facebook March 26-28. Performers will include Southern Avenue, Ben Nichols of Lucero, MonoNeon, IMAKEBADBEATS, Tonya Dyson, Stephanie “Doll” McCoy with Streeter & the Tribe and Derek “D.B.” Brassel, Louise Page, D’Monet, The Stereograms, and Brandon Kinder. There will be a button that will allow you to donate to the musicians.

Soccer supporters’ group Bluff City Mafia has started a GoFundMe to assist the staff of the Brass Door while their business is closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

NIH’s Anthony Fauci says that we will have to continue practicing social distancing for at least several more weeks to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases in the U.S.

Chris Milam has started a database of Memphis web concerts.

As your number-one source of news and information about The Edge District, it is my duty to inform you that Sun Studio announced that it will temporarily closed to help keep everyone safe and healthy.

Don’t forget that Jack Pirtle’s still has their drive-thru windows open… closest location to Downtown is 890 Thomas, which would be just north of Chelsea. A two-piece with a biscuit and gravy sounds like the perfect pick-me-up to help get through these unsettling times.

Flight has promised that when they re-open (date not known yet, obviously), 100% of the first night ticket revenue will go to their employees.

All right. I’m going to go ahead and hit Publish with what I’ve got. I’ll be back throughout the day with news and longer, free-flowing pieces, so check back.