Paul Ryburn's Journal

I did a news post earlier today; scroll down to find it. I wanted to get it up quickly because it had events that begin as early as 11 AM today. This is going to be all wrestling, so if you’re not a sports entertainment fan you can skip it.

Those of you who are a fan of the Classic Memphis Wrestling program, you were probably disappointed when you turned on CW30 yesterday at 11 AM and it wasn’t on. Bad news: The show has been taken off CW30 permanently. Jerry Lawler explained that it had become too expensive to keep the show on the air.

Good news, though: Lawler is uploading all the episodes to his YouTube channel. To be informed when a new episode drops, follow the Classic Memphis Wrestling Facebook page.

I watched part of NXT Takeover on the WWE Network last night, and it was outstanding as always. They always hold a NXT Takeover event the night before a major pay-per-view (SummerSlam is tonight) and the next generation of WWE talent gets to show off what they can do. They often outshine the quality of wrestling on the main card. Part of the reason why is that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon keeps his hands off NXT, leaving the organization’s operation to Triple H, who in real life is an executive vice president with the company. Trips has more of an old-school mentality and makes the product more about the wrestling than what you find on the main shows.

That may be about to change, though. NXT has gotten so good that major television networks are interested, and the show is rumored to be moving to FS1 this fall. If that happens, it believes that Vince McMahon will start getting involved with NXT. Uh-oh. That could be trouble. I don’t want to see elderly women giving birth to hands on that show.

Fantasy booking time!

WWE Monday Night RAW has a problem. Their Universal champion, Brock Lesnar, is so dominant that he should almost never lose. However, that has caused fans to become bored with RAW: Not only because Lesnar is so dominant, but because WWE lets him have a part-time schedule, the Universal title going undefended for months at a time. Ratings are dropping. Taking the title out of the picture decreases interest. WWE needs to take the title off Lesnar and put it on someone who’ll be on TV every week and who will defend the title on all the pay-per-views. But who?

My suggestion is that they look to history. In 1992-93, WCW had a dominant heel champion who steamrolled over everyone he faced: Big Van Vader. At 6’5″ and 452 pounds, Vader had a natural advantage over the men he faced. He beat Sting. He beat Ron Simmons. He beat Cactus Jack. He beat Davey Boy Smith.

Finally, by the fall of 1993, it looked like an opponent had risen up who might actually be able to beat Vader: Marion, Arkansas’ very own Sid Vicious. At 6’9″ and 317 pounds, Sid had the power to match Vader. Sid was booked to win the title from Vader at Starrcade, WCW’s biggest pay-per-view of the year, in November. However, fate intervened. In late October, Sid got into a scuffle with Arn Anderson in a hotel room, in which he tried to attack Anderson with a pair of scissors. Arn was very popular in the locker room, and WCW head Eric Bischoff had to acquiesce to a near-universal demand that Sid be fired.

That left Bischoff with a problem: Vader was now left without a Starrade opponent, ad had already beaten all the top babyfaces in the company. None of them would be a believable opponent for Vader one more time. People wouldn’t pay to buy a match they’d already seen several times.

However, there actually was one babyface Vader hadn’t beaten yet: Ric Flair. Flair had just started wrestling again for WCW, not being able to for quite some time because he had to let his WWF non-compete clause run out. In the meantime, he hosted a talk show called Flair for the Gold.

So Flair challenged Vader to a title match, and Vader just laughed. Vader pointed out that since he started wrestling again, Flair hadn’t racked up enough victories to qualify for a world title shot.

So, Flair put his career on the line vs. Vader’s title, and Vader, seeing a chance to retire one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, agreed.

Now that was a pairing that would draw big box office money. For one thing, fans loved Flair, even when he worked as a heel. The other thing was, fans sensed they might really see the last match of Flair’s career. At 6’1″ and 242 pounds, Flair wasn’t the physical match for Vader that Sid Vicious was. Also, Flair was 44 years old at the time, and had accomplished pretty much everything there was to do in the wrestling business. It was entirely believable that Flair would retire and ride off into the sunset.

Vader brutalized Flair in the Starrcade match, but Flair got a fluke roll-up for three and win the title.

I think WWE should employ a similar strategy to get the title off Vader. Get a  challenger who the fans love and will get behind, and make it someone who is of believable retirement age and who has accomplished most everything there is to do in the business.

The trouble is, though, most people of the right age on WWE’s main roster wouldn’t be suitable. AJ Styles (42) just turned heel and has more work to do with Anderson and Gallows. Randy Orton (39) is a heel and although the fans respect his work, they don’t love him the way WCW fans loved Flair. R-Truth (48) is someone the fans love but they wouldn’t buy him as a Universal title contender.

This past Monday, however, an interesting event occurred. Samoa Joe came out and took the mic. People had been pegging him as the mystery attacker who tried to drop a load of heavy equipment on Roman Reigns. Joe said that he’s a bad man, but there are limits to what he is willing to do to an opponent, and trying to kill an opponent is crossing the line in his eyes. While Joe was taking, Regins was shown getting out of a car and almost being run over by a mystery attacker. Joe ran to the parking lot and summoned help for Reigns, showing compassion for his longtime foe. This looked like the beginning of a face turn for Joe.

Brock Lesnar has beaten Joe on multiple occasions, so it is reasonable to believe that if Joe asked for a title match, Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman would simply laugh and say Joe doesn’t have the record to deserve a title match. Joe could then offer to put his career on the line.

This would draw big interest and spark ratings and PPV buys. Like Flair, the fans just love them some Joe, even when he’s a heel. They buy into his character, chanting things like “Joe’s gonna kill you” (ironic, I guess, given what he said last Monday) when he’s in the ring. Also, fans truly would believe that they might be about to see Joe’s last match. At 40, Joe has accomplished nearly everything to do in the business. He’e been TNA World Champion, he had a great run in Ring of Honor, he’s been NXT champion, and he’s been the United States champion. If he retired, he’d be able to look back on a long and successful career.

Having Joe beat Lesnar at Survivor Series would give the WWE a fighting, full-time beloved babyface champion as they enter the busy Royal Rumble/Wrestlemania season. Ratings would be strong, PPV buys would go up, and Joe merchandise would sell.

Of course, if Joe goes back to being a heel at SummerSlam tonight, this won’t work.

Thanks for reading. Apologies if there are typos, but I’ve run out of time and don’t have time to proofread.

I have an idea for a T-shirt for one of our local companies that makes them:

Kyrie and KD
Board Man and PG13
LeBron and The Brow
The Beard and Russ
Steph and Klay
Ja and Jaren

I used that as my trivia team name one week, but it didn’t win because people thought it was too long.

Statistic I found on social media yesterday: 24 kids went home from St. Jude last week, cancer-free. Now they have their whole lives ahead of them, and their families won’t face a mountain of medical debt, because St. Jude never bills for treatment. Want to help make sure it stays that way? Either run in the Breakaway-Bardog 5K next Sunday or come to Monroe Avenue Fest and make a donation.

Yeah, I’m going to be talking about that event a lot this coming week. Here, I’ll even give you one more reason you should go: The Cousins Maine Lobster food truck is going to be there.

Exposure Memphis happens at FedExForum Thursday, August 29 from 6 to 8 PM. Presented by New Memphis and Independent Bank, this is your chance to learn about over 150 Memphis businesses and organizations. The Beale Street Flippers will perform. Now, in past years they have had a celebrity kickball game, but since the event is not at AutoZone Park, they don’t have a diamond. So they’re switching it up this year and doing 2019 Bicentennial Games, a take on the Olympic™ Games with your favorite local celebrities.

(Kudos to them, by the way, on capturing the spirit of the Olympic™ Games without violating any trademarks)

The W.C. Handy House at Fourth and Beale is once again open to the public. W.C. Handy, considered the father of the blues, lived in the house during his time in Memphis.

Elvis: Ultimate Gospel happens at the Halloran Centre today at 11 AM. David Lee, a former Grand Champion Elvis tribute artist, will perform gospel, the music Elvis always said he loved doing the most, as The King.

Oh, dear Lord. Pabst, seeing the success of White Claw, is getting in the seltzer game with PBR Stronger Seltzer. It clocks in at a whopping 8%. This is one Pabst product I won’t be trying.

Carolina Watershed is having a kids’ hour today at noon. There will be $2 hot dogs, a water slide, yard games, eating contests, and a photo booth. For adults there will be drink specials.

Get an extra card when you bring your dog to bingo today at Loflin Yard. 4-6 PM.

Primas Bakery + Boutique will host a Finding Nemo tea party today at 1:30. Participants get a Nemo-themed platter of a a French macaron, a Petit Four, a donut and a cookie. The movie will be shown and there will be tea, coffee, and punch.

There will be sunset jazz in Court Square today from 6 to 8. Family-friendly and free. You can bring your own food or visit the food trucks that will be there. Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome.

Elvis fans: Backbeat Tours is doing Hound Dog Tours all this week. They start from Alfred’s at 197 Beale. Visit Humes High where Elvis went to school, Sun Studio where he recorded, the Overton Park Shell where he performed, the Memphian Theater, the Chisca Hotel where “That’s All Right Mama” was played on the radio for the first time, and the Audubon Drive House. There’s an option add-on tour of the apartment in Lauderdale Courts (now Uptown Square) where Elvis lived with his mother as a teenager.

All right, since I have some time-sensitive items in this post, I’m going to hit Publish. I have a couple of wrestling-related news items and I also want to do some fantasy booking. That post will be up in a little while.

One of my favorite follows on Facebook is Edible Memphis. They have the inside scoop on what’s happening in the Memphis food scene. This week they had details on the new Slider Inn/Slider Out that is soon to open in South Main.

First thing – Edible Memphis got clarification on the name of the restaurant. The two buildings facing Mulberry will be Slider Inn, and the back yard facing Main will be Slider Out. They plan to use the back yard for things like movie nights and food trucks. That is very unusual, for a restaurant owner serving a full menu to want food trucks on his site.

Everything on the original Slider Inn menu will be on the new restaurant menu, and there will be additions to the menu both places. These include lobster dishes, egg rolls, a Chilaquiles buffet, and brunch on the weekends.

They didn’t give a target date for opening, but they hope to have operations going before fall. Hmmm… fall begins around September 21…. I wouldn’t put a lot of stock in them hitting that time frame. Aldo is a busy man these days. Not only is he opening Slider Inn/Out, he’s taking over The Dirty Crow Inn on Crump. And, of course, there’s the matter of a 5K and alley party happening at his original restaurant, Bardog, a week from tomorrow.

Every few days I check the participant list for the 5K… good, not seeing the name of the person who stirred up drama at the 2018 alley party. The ’19 party will be much better off without her histrionics.

Nice to see soccer supporters group Bluff City Mafia featured in the headline article of The Daily Memphian today. (They misspelled Magan Hall’s first name though.) It’s just incredible how Memphians have come to love soccer in such a short period of time. Memphis 901 FC has its only home game of the month, tonight vs. North Carolina FC, at 7:30. If you can’t make it to the game, it’ll be broadcast locally on CW30.

There will be an art march and party called Artery 2.0 today from 5 to 8. The art march begins at 5 in Court Square and will go down Maggie H. Isabel Street, Stereo Alley, Rendezvous Alley and General Washburn’s Escape Alley to tour the new art installations there. The march will wrap up at Madison Avenue Park across from the Brass Door, for a little pre-partying with the soccer supporters. First 100 people to meet in Court Square get two free drink tickets.

The Daily Memphian has a profile of Memphis Tiger Precious Achiuwa. From Nigeria, Achiuwa is the other 5-star recruit in this year’s class besides James Wiseman. Some sources have him as a lottery pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

I’m hearing from members of my BBQ team that the team competition aspect will return to Burgerfest Memphis this year. After taking over Best Memphis Burger Fest from Seth Agranov and his crew and changing the name, the organizers did not have a cooking competition in 2018. According to a group text I received, it will be on Saturday, September 21. We haven’t decided for sure yet but it looks like there is interest from the Moody Ques in competing.

Got an insider tip for those of you who dine at the Blind Bear: If you hate ketchup, you can ask for garlic aioli instead for dipping your fries.

A man was arrested for trying to skip the Beale Street bucks cover charge that is in place weekend nights. He tried to climb to the top of Jerry Lawler’s club and hop a fence to avoid paying. Dude, what a mug shot! I didn’t realized MPD used Snapchat filters.

Elvis Week is underway. A friend of mine was speculating that Elvis Week may get smaller as the years go on, because the people who grew up listening to his music are in their 70s and 80s now and are probably less likely to travel.

Don’t forget Wednesday is Elvis glass night at Flying Saucer. If you want one, I recommend getting there no later than 6:50, and informing your server or bartender that you want a glass as soon as they go on sale at 7.

The Grizzlies will have a one-day-only garage sale at FedExForum from 2 to 7 in the afternoon. Proceeds from the sale will benefit St. Jude.

South of Beale has its 10th birthday party all day today.

Historian Jimmy Ogle has possibly his final two walking tours of Downtown today, exploring Madison Avenue (meet at the law school at Front and Madison) at 11 AM and then The Edge (meet at Sun Studio) at 2 PM.

Tug’s has some specials this week for Elvis week: Peanut butter and banana sandwich, a “hound” dog with cheese and bacon, a “King” Burger (double meat, double cheese, extra mayo, the way Elvis liked it) and banana pudding. They have Elvis-themed drink specials too.

The Rusty Pieces have returned from their road trip and will be performing at Blind Bear today and the next two Saturdays. 10 PM show time.

Sorry if I seem a bit not-myself this weekend. I need to make a transaction in one of my monetary accounts, but my financial advisor with the company is the kind of person who always lets his phone calls to voice mail and then either calls back days later or not at all. It’s stressing me out. Oh, and also, I learned I have a poppy seed allergy lately after eating that hot dog for lunch. I felt sick for hours. Anyway, between those two stressors, I didn’t sleep a wink last night despite the fact that I lay wide awake in bed from 11:45 to 8:00.

Things will get better, though, because I have great friends at Bardog to look forward to shortly. I may head down to the South of Beale party at some point. Back tomorrow or Monday with more news.

Hot dog cart at Main and Union. It’s a special this week. Poppy seed bun, 1/4 lb. Nathan’s, 3 slices of salami, spicy mustard, provolone, giardiniera. Add chips and drink for a dollar. The cart is at the southeast corner of Union and Main 10:30 AM-2:30 PM Wednesdays and Fridays.

Well, it was bound to happen. The War of the Foodies has broken out on Facebook.

A couple of weeks ago, the Memphis Sandwich Clique group sprung up on Facebook. It is a place where people could post photos of their favorite Memphis sandwiches. All the group’s creator asked was that people be as descriptive as possible, and only post sandwiches from locally-owned restaurants. This is a great way to promote local businesses. I know that Sam’s Deli and RAWK’n Grub are two that have benefited greatly from the exposure. I searched past blog posts and posted three photos of gyros from Cafe Med on Kirby Parkway near Poplar, a restaurant overlooked by many because Petra, which serves a similar menu, is nearby. Best gyros in town, in my opinion.

In addition to posting their favorite sandwich, members can ask for recommendations, which is where the trouble began. Someone posted, asking what is the best Memphis sandwich with bacon on it. I definitely had an opinion on this! The Mr. Crunch open-faced breakfast sandwich on Pontotoc Lounge’s brunch menu, with sous-vide bacon more than an inch thick, Mornay sauce and cheese, is phenomenal. That was an acceptable reply; since you can’t pick the sandwich up, I was pushing boundaries a bit, but I was still promoting a great local business.

However, a friend of mine replied, “Baconator,” the sandwich from Wendy’s with extra bacon. That earned him a 24-hour ban from posting to the group for violating the “no chains” rule. He responded by forming his own Facebook group, “There are many other foods besides sandwiches that are great.” Only 2 days old, the group already has 433 members. They are making all kinds of good food posts, and as is the case with Memphis Sandwich Clique, people are discovering a lot of local restaurants as a result.

The only thing I hate about it is the personal attacks. The founder of the non-sandwich group has called the founder of Memphis Sandwich Clique a “douchey hipster” among other derogatory names. The non-sandwich founder claims his Baconator post was actually not a violation of Memphis Sandwich Clique rules because the Wendy’s in Memphis are locally owned. While that may be true, I think it’s a dubious excuse. Wendy’s is not a locally owned chain in the sense that Huey’s and Pirtle’s are.

I’m not pleased with the behavior on the Memphis Sandwich Clique side either. Specifically, members on there have been bashing the place where the non-sandwich group founder works, Max’s Sports Bar. Ironically, Max’s is exactly the kind of place Memphis Sandwich Clique was formed to promote. Max’s has a full menu of steamed sandwiches and is owned by a local who wants nothing more than to give his community a place to come together and bond over sports, beverages and food. I hope many people discover it because of the new non-sandwich group. (I just hope they discover it on a day that’s not College Football Saturday when the place is already packed to the gills.)

Can we all just get along? Both groups are an asset to the city, and if we can all just be excellent to each other there is a vast opportunity to discover some great Memphis food and support area businesses. On the other hand, if the discussion continues to devolve into bashing and name-calling, people are going to get fed up and both groups will wither away.

In related news: Front Street Deli is offering 10% off to members of Memphis Sandwich Clique this month.

The Memphis Grizzlies have announced their preseason schedule. The home games are

• Sunday, October 6 vs. Maccabi Haifa
• Tuesday, October 8 vs. New Zealand Breakers
• Monday, October 14 vs. Charlotte Hornets

The preseason road games will be the Spurs on October 16 and the Thunder on October 18.

Jennifer Biggs of The Daily Memphian has a look at the Bi Bim Breakfast at Sunrise Memphis. It’s a breakfast taste on the classic Korean dish bibimbap.

The South Main Association has now lined up a speaker for their Tuesday, August 13 meeting at Malco Powerhouse, and they didn’t have to look far to find one. Thomas Gandee, GM of the theater, will speak. 6:00 social, 6:30 presentation, and following the meeting there will be half-price tickets for SMA members who want to stay and see a movie.

Max’s Sports Bar is now booking fantasy football draft parties. When you book your party at Max’s, you get a free draft kit plus 15% off all food and drink during your party. Call 901-528-8367 to make your reservation.

The second-to-last Peabody rooftop party of the season happens tonight, with the Ghost Town Blues Band headlining. $10 general admission, $20 VIP. Admission includes a buffet of Tex-Mex pork nachos and chips. VIPs get a second buffet of tequila flank steak, chicken quesadillas, guacamole and chips.

Improv Underground returns to the Brass Door Friday, September 6. The show will be in The Cavern downstairs and will start off with members of the Bluff City Liars competing for your laughs in short-form style. Then select cast members will perform long-form comedy. $5 cover, and although the Door allows all ages, the show is recommended for 18 and up because of the content.

There will be a CitizenFEST interest meeting at the Cossitt Library, Front and Monroe, Tuesday at 6:30 PM. The first CitizenFEST brought a diverse group of Memphians together to discuss ways they could be good citizens who bring positive change to their community.

Cigar store Robusto by Havana Mix will have happy hour with K97 DJ Big Sue today from 4 to 6, doing a remote radio broadcast as they gear up for the Beale St. Cigar Festival on Labor Day weekend. Lots of $5 drink specials today.

The folks at metaphysical shop The Broom Closet report that South Main is once again open to through traffic. It had been closed between G.E. Patterson to St. Paul for all but local traffic while renovation of the new Central Station Hotel took place. I know the owners of the businesses on that block across from Central Station will be very relieved.

Local brewery Wiseacre has announced its Oktoberfest will be Saturday, September 28.

There will be a back-to-school sunset skate night at Tom Lee Park Saturday, August 17 7:30-9:00.

I want to warn everybody of a Facebook scam that is going around, a post titled, “Honor your pet who is no longer with us. What was their name?” Name of a childhood pet is a very common question used in identity theft. Don’t give out this information. Worse, some people use their pet’s name as passwords on websites. That makes it doubly bad to freely share this information (and you really should change your password).

LGBTQ-friendly bar Atomic Rose is starting Hangover Hangout on Sundays. They will have a $10 breakfast buffet from 11 to 2. They’ll have drag bingo from 1:30 to 3, followed by a tea dance from 4 to 8. What the hell is a tea dance? Let’s ask Wikipedia.

Grizzlies Night at the Redbirds will happen Thursday, August 22 at AutoZone Park. The Redbirds will wear special Grizzlies-themed jerseys, which they will autograph and auction off after the game. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Redbirds Community Fund and the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation. There will be a specialty ticket for this game ($49 dugout, $48 field box, $55 club) that includes

• A ticket to the Grizzlies Night at the Redbirds game
• A Terrace IV ticket to the Grizzlies 2019-20 season home opener, to be sent electronically at a later date
• A ticket to the Triple-A National Championship Game at AutoZone Park on September 17
• A ride on the elevator to the top of Bass Pro at the Pyramid

Starting next Thursday, Loflin Yard will host a weekly 4-7 event called Dog Days of Summer. Each week a different charity will be chosen, and a dollar from each beer sale will be donated to that charity. For the initial event, Memphis Humane Society will be the charity.

I saw the weirdest sport on ESPN2 yesterday. Trolley drivers run their trolleys into huge inflatable bowling balls, propelling the ball forward where it knocks over huge inflatable pins. We need this in Memphis! Imagine what a signature event this would be for a neighborhood like The Edge or Madison Heights.

I normally stay out of the discussion on the Save Tom Lee Park and the Festivals Facebook group, but this week a point was raised on there which was quite valid. Due to his stated stance on Tom Lee Park (scrap the plans to renovate it and do away with Memphis River Parks Partnership), there is concern that Willie Herenton could win the mayoral election, despite the fact that King Willie was a much worse mayor during his last term than Jim Strickland is now. Let me tell you something: Willie doesn’t give a damn about Tom Lee Park. He is an opportunist who is hijacking this issue to get votes. He’s using the people who support keeping Tom Lee Park the way it is. Don’t be fooled.

Cheers to Neil Hines, proprietor of Neil’s Music Room out on Quince, for his decision to make his bar nonsmoking effective August 15. Excellent decision that is good for the health of his patrons. In the years I’ve been down here, two of my favorite bars, Silly Goose and Max’s, have gone nonsmoking. Although there was griping, business has gone up at both bars. The people who swore they’d never go to those places again, still go.

Rocker Sammy Hagar visits Memphis for a gig as the honorary Peabody Duckmaster:

A friend of mine ordered these recently: Psycho Pickles. These are pickles which come in a jar with six ghost peppers to make them super hot. The longer you wait to eat the pickles, the hotter they become. Once you’ve eaten the pickles, you can use the ghost peppers for cooking. Sounds delish!

Grizzlies Prep academy students are looking for adult lunch buddies.  A lunch buddy meets with one of the boys at the academy one day a week and has lunch with him. Lunch buddies serve as role models for the boys, helping to point them in the direction of success and preparing them to be college-ready. If this sounds like something you would want to do, spots are available!

I don’t know if I have any vegetarians who read this blog, but on the off-chance that I do, I want to share with you a vegetarian special that Venga, the Mexican restaurant in Puck Food Hall, has all this week.

This taco has black bean, corn, poblano peppers, and zucchini with crispy fried onions, cotija, and crema.

Overheard at the Silly Goose yesterday: “Hey, is this your bra that you left here the other night?”

Rizzo’s is collecting school supplies to be distributed to nearby schools at the end of the month. Any donation large or small is appreciated.

Great quote I saw on Facebook yesterday: “A lot of problems in the world would disappear if we talked to each other instead of about each other.” Very true. It kills me how people who want to understand what’s on my mind ask my friends instead of coming directly to me and asking me. My friends are not mind readers.

Another long post finished. Back tomorrow.

I got to try the new PBR Extra for the first time yesterday. No bars Downtown (that I’m aware of) sell it yet, but it’s in convenience stores. The 6.5% beer tastes almost exactly like regular 5% PBR. I didn’t notice a difference while I was drinking it, but when I woke up this morning I felt slightly groggy. “When have I felt like this before?” I asked myself, and realized I had felt like that when the night before, I had knocked off a high-gravity beer on my quest for my next plate at the Flying Saucer. Anyway, if you’re a PBR drinker, check out Extra. It’s not bad.

Do you plan on partying with the Bluff City Mafia supporters’ group at Brass Door prior to Memphis 901 FC’s match against North Carolina FC on Saturday? Even if you’re someone who normally pays everything with a debit card, I have a favor to ask… go to an ATM between now and Saturday and get some cash. Why? All cash sales at the pregame party in the alley next to Brass Door will go to Magan Hall’s GoFundMe to help pay for her cancer treatment. Magan is a member of Bluff City Mafia and started her second treatment this week.

The natural mosquito spray class returns to Cordelia’s Market Tuesday, August 20. Learn to make a non-toxic insect repellant with essential oils while sampling some of Cordelia’s recipes. Wine and beer specials will be available.

Sunrise Memphis has a new addition to their patio:

Thanks to the new enclosed front patio, customers now can enjoy their food and drink outside at Sunrise Memphis.https://t.co/41YQ1UbOzf

— Memphis Flyer (@MemphisFlyer) August 6, 2019

Crosstown Brewing Co. has announced the date for their Crosstoberfest: Saturday, October 12.

The Orpheum has announced Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live for Saturday, November 23. There are three VIP packages for those who want to get up close and personal.

Ghost River Brewing Co. is hiring people who love beer and who want to put their community first. They’re looking for a brewer, a brewery employee, and a taproom bartender. Send resume to info@ghostriverbrewing.com.

Yesterday I mentioned the good work Volunteer Odyssey does in the community. Read this op-ed by founder Sarah Petschonek to learn more about the organization and about volunteering in Memphis.

Project Homeless Connect, a one-day event to connect the homeless with services they need, has released their wish list ahead of their October 17 event this year.

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to inform you that Evelyn & Olive is celebrating the 57th year of Jamaican independence all week long. They have special menu items all week including ackee and salt fish, stew beef, stew peas, and a variety of natural juices. Saturday they will wrap up the week with the Chinese Connection Dub Embassy.

Streetdog Foundation is having an event at Loflin Yard Saturday:

After a decade and over 1,200 dogs saved Join us on Saturday, Aug 10th from 2-5pm at Loflin Yard.

We will have some rad dogs available for adoption, silent auction, raffle, & a far-out new t-shirt design release!! All leashed dogs welcome #memphis #rescue #loflinYard pic.twitter.com/tw36ycGbaJ

— Streetdog Foundation (@streetdogfdn) August 5, 2019

Downtown Yoga is having a Liquid Spine Workshop next Tuesday, August 13, 6:45-7:45 PM. Guest instructor Rubén del Bosque will lead this class, which is appropriate for all levels. Cost is $20. YOGA!

Yesterday I was discussing with a friend how Cinnamon Toast Crunch is our favorite cereal. He asked, “You ever tried Cinnamon Toast Crunch with vanilla ice cream?” and I said, oh yeah, I’ve done that. Then he blew my mind: Try it with butter pecan ice cream.

Pontotoc Lounge now has Andouille pups on a stick.

It feels like the A/C needs Freon again, so I’m going to cut this post short, put in a service request, then head to the branch office because I don’t like being in the apartment when maintenance people are there. Back tomorrow with more news.

This post will make up for the brief one yesterday. I have over 20 news items to share with you!

There’s an axe throwing tournament at Loflin Yard tonight. This will be a regular Thursday night thing in the back yard, with cash prizes and drink specials. $20 to enter and this event is 21 and up.

Well, here’s something kind of different and interesting. On October 20, Elmwood Cemetery will host Edgar Allan Poe. Well, a historian in costume pretending to be Edgar Allan Poe. The real Edgar Allan Poe has been dead for quite some time. Historian Rob Velella will read from several of Poe’s works, with an emphasis on stories of those who have gone before us.

There will be a Back To School Fishing Rodeo for kids Saturday, August 24 10 AM-1 PM at Martin Luther King Riverside Park. It’s free to attend, there will be plenty of prizes and special guests will include Memphis Redbirds pitcher Justin Williams (10:30-11:30) and Rockey Redbird.

Don’t forget that the Memphis Tigers football Fan Fest is this Saturday at the Liberty Bowl. At 4 PM there will be an equipment sale and open scrimmage. At 6 the equipment sale will end and there will be an autograph session.

Bluefin is trying their “Bluefin Express” deli thing in the side bar again:

A deputy was stabbed in the arm yesterday in the 200 block of North Fourth Street, not far from the 201 Poplar building. He was responding to a report of an alleged sexual assault. James Lee Kirkwood, a registered violent sex offender, was shot at the scene and later died.

The Arcade is throwing a 100 Cents for 100 Years block party on Saturday, August 24. Memphis’ oldest restaurant, opened in 1919, will celebrate its 100th birthday with live music, kids’ activities, and photo opportunities. In the restaurant, there will be $1 meals and happy hour drink specials. Proceeds from food sales will go to St. Jude. Very cool… that’ll be two awesome block parties in 7 days, the Bardog alley party and 5K the Sunday before. I plan on being at both!

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced that its August membership meeting will be held at the Malco Powerhouse theater Tuesday, August 20 5:30-7:30 PM. This is a good chance to come check out the new bar and grill if you haven’t already. Speaker to be announced soon.

Yesterday they lit the fire in the Silly Goose’s new pizza oven for the first time.

Daniel is giving the oven, named Susie, a week to be “seasoned” by fire. Next Monday, he says, wood-fired pizzas will begin coming out of the oven. Can’t wait! Looks like those of you who had the Goose in the “which will be ready first? Silly Goose pizza oven or Slider Out?” debate are winners.

The Daily Memphian’s Chris Herrington had a good op-ed column this morning, touching on several issues. He mentioned how Willie Herenton is framing the mayoral race as a two-man race, implying that “if you want a mayor who looks like you, you better vote for me, because the girl (Tami Sawyer) is a distraction and a waste of your vote.” It’s condescending, dismissive, and disrespectful, and it just goes to show the overly inflated sense of self-importance that was on full display during King Willie’s last term in office.

Also on the Daily Memphian website, Jennifer Biggs’ podcast for foodies has an interesting guest this week: Ryan Hopgood, founder of Memphis Sandwich Clique. If you’re a member of the Clique, be sure to check out my photos of gyros from Cafe Med that I put up this morning!

The Memphis Business Journal revealed its Power 100, a look at the people who are considered to be the 100 most powerful people in Memphis. Congratulations to all who made the list, and in particular my friend Deni Reilly, co-owner of the Majestic Grille. Very well deserved, Deni!

I’d like to recommend a yoga class for my readers looking to get some exercise and peace of mind in their lunch hour. My friend Mary Patrick is teaching a Power Vinyasa class every Wednesday at noon at DwiPada Yoga, 376 Perkins Extended. The class is suitable for beginners, but she has some intensifications to keep the class challenging for intermediate and advanced students. I have watched yoga change Mary’s life over the past two years, and she is going to have a long and successful career as a teacher. Follow her at @yogimare_ on Instagram where she posts videos of some of her workouts.

Got news on some jobs available Downtown. Cordelia’s Market is hiring full-time and part-time cashiers, stockers, and cafe team members. They say there are many perks that come along with these jobs, and students are welcome to apply.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies is also hiring. They are looking for experienced kitchen staff, in particular people with pizza experience. Apply in person Monday-Friday 9-11 AM or 3-5 PM.

There’s going to be an event called MindTravel SilentWalk at Big River Crossing this Saturday from 6 to 8 in the evening. This is an event that is really hard to summarize in a few sentences, so I’ll just say “peaceful walking meditation” and if that sounds interesting to you, click through to read the full description.

There will be a going away party for historian Jimmy Ogle at Westy’s this Saturday from 9 to midnight. Ogle, famous for his tours of Downtown Memphis, is moving to Knoxville to be closer to his family. There will be live music by Penny Kings at the party.

Loflin Yard is an event venue with many potential uses, but have you ever thought about having a wedding there? This couple did.

Dog rescue and foster organization Streetdog Foundation is now signing up volunteers for its big fall party, Howl at the Moon. There are opportunities to assist with programming, breakdown, logistics, setup, event clean-up, ticketing and checkout, auction prep, the auction event, sponsorship, beverage prep, food setup, food stations, and media. There is also a volunteer opportunity called Diamond Host in which the volunteer works to ensure that the event’s top sponsors have a great time. This is a wonderful party thrown by a wonderful organization. If you’re looking to volunteer this is definitely something I would recommend.

The I Love Memphis Blog will present a Food Tasting at Puck Food Hall Friday, August 23 from 5:30 to 8:30. This is a great way to get a taste of all that this food hall has to offer. A ticket gets you 10 tokens that can be spent at the bar or at any of the food stations. Food will be Memphis and birthday themed in honor of I Love Memphis’ 10th birthday.

Tech site MakeUseOf has a helpful article on how to tell if your employer has installed spyware on your work computer.

Chef Steph Cook, owner of RAWK’n Grub, has made a difficult decision. He is closing the location inside the Citgo at 630 North Highland. As much as he hates to let “The Little Kitchen that Could” go, this move will allow him and his team to focus on the new location at Growlers on Poplar. He plans to start opening for lunch at Growlers beginning next month.

The great thing about local organization Volunteer Odyssey is that they not only have a platform to connect Memphians with volunteer opportunities, but they also offer a platform to allow volunteers to blog about their experiences. Volunteer Alyssa recently wrote a blog post about her volunteer experience with Urban Bicycle Food Ministries. Every week, 500 to 600 burritos and hot dogs are assembled in UBFM’s kitchen by volunteers. They are then placed in backpacks, and given to bike riders who ride three routes in the city, including Downtown Memphis, asking people “Are you hungry?” and feeding them if they say they are. Not a cook? No problem, you can volunteer for bike riding only. Not a terribly talented bike rider? You can volunteer for kitchen work only.

That’ll do it for this post. Back tomorrow with more news.

I got more information about that party happening at the Blind Bear the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, September 1. It will be called “The Ultimate Brunch Set” with DJ Big Sue and it will happen from noon to 6 PM. A cigar roller will be on hand during that time.

I hear that Second Street Shopper, the convenience store across from the Peabody, is now carrying PBR Extra, the high-alcohol version of PBR, clocking in at 6.5% alcohol by volume. It is said to be more hoppy than regular PBR, but the flavor is still much the same.

The Grizzlies are holding a job fair for seasonal positions tomorrow 2-7 at FedExForum. A resume is required.

In other news, Tin Roof is hiring security guards.

Got stuff to do so I’m cutting this one short. Back tomorrow.

It’s Sunday. Are you having trouble deciding where to go for brunch today? There’s an app for that. The Daily Memphian reports on a couple from Memphis who developed the Brunch Hunch app.

The Memphis Union Mission is in desperate need of towels. You can buy towels from Amazon (6 for $19.95) and ship them to

Memphis Union Mission
383 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38105
Attn: Dr. Randy Daniels

Wiseacre and Tattersall are teaming up to have a Beach Within Reach party at Carolina Watershed today starting at 2. Bathing suits are encouraged and there will be a Dad Bod contest. There will be a watermelon eating contest and a Slip ‘n Slide.

First 2000 fans at the Redbirds today get a wiffle ball bat, courtesy of Prairie Farms Dairy. Kids 12 and under get free ice cream too. First pitch at 2:05. After the game, players will be in the concourse for autographs, and kids can run the bases.

Beg & Borrow, the pop-up shop in the former Shelton Clothiers space, is selling the Pink Pig apparel that Shelton sold.

Bluff City Weekend has the story behind Memphis Sandwich Clique.

Check out this cool shirt my friends got me at a concert last weekend:

That’s all. Sorry for a rather half-assed effort today but I was out late last night. Back tomorrow or Tuesday with more news.

Back around the first of June, I reported that I had been told the people opening Slider Out at Talbot and Mulberry (with patio backing up to Main Street) were shooting for a grand opening date of July 15. How many of you read that and thought, “Yeah that’ll never happen”? (raises own hand)

So, yesterday an employee of the Aldo family of restaurants gave me a new target date for the new restaurant. Although, now I’m not even sure what the name is anymore. About half the time I still hear Slider Out, and about half the time I hear either “the new Slider Inn” or “the second Slider Inn.”

Anyway, whatever it’s to be called, the employee said the new target date is “About 6 weeks from now… October probably.” But, wait, six weeks from yesterday is not… never mind. My personal prediction as to when it will open, and this is based solely on intuition rather than inside knowledge of building plans: Day after Thanksgiving. That would be a fantastic day to open, really. Most people will be off work and looking for something fun to do. Also, there will be a lot of great college football on that day and a lot of people who want to go to a place less crowded than Max’s Sports Bar will walk over there.

(Although, in the long run, I think Slider Out/Inn 2 will increase business at both bars, rather than detracting from either. I see “let’s watch the game at Max’s then head over to Slider Inn” becoming the South Main equivalent to the core’s “let’s do happy hour at the Silly Goose then go over to Blind Bear.”)

I’m trying to figure out where Slider Inn 2/Out will fit into my weekly schedule. Possibly Sunday afternoons. Maybe lead off at Blind Bear or Pontotoc for brunch, whichever appeals more to me that week, then head down to Slider 1:00, 1:30ish. I bet I could possibly bring along other brunch regulars to the new place.

While we’re on the subject of South Main, I’ll pass on a recommendation I got recently. I’ve been told that the Green Beetle makes the best turkey burger Downtown. That is an impressive recommendation, given that there are at least three other restaurants down here that make outstanding turkey burgers: Huey’s, Flying Saucer, and Silly Goose. I have not had the Beetle’s version of that burger and will have to get down there and try one soon.

Yesterday I got asked “What events are coming up at FedExForum this month?” Off the top of my head, I didn’t know. Let’s have a look:

• Comedian Jim Gaffigan on his “Secrets and Pies” tour Saturday, August 17. He is really good. Check out some of his material on YouTube if you’re not familiar.
• If you’re into 45-year-old teen idols, the Backstreet Boys come to the Forum Tuesday, August 27 for their “DNA World Tour.” That should make for some interesting people watching. Their biggest fans when they were in their prime are now hauling kids around in minivans these days.
• Exposure Memphis comes to the Forum Thursday, August 29. I must admit I have no idea what that is, so I’ll take the lazy route and cut and paste from the event page: “New Memphis is bringing Exposure Memphis presented by Independent Bank to FedExForum Thursday, August 29 at 6 p.m. Come engage with more than 150+ organizations, sample Memphis staples and revel in the magic of Memphis as we celebrate the city’s 200th birthday.”

You know, I like this and think I will incorporate it into the blog. On the first of every month I will try to remember to do a roundup of what is happening at FedExForum (other than Grizzlies and Tigers, which I will cover individually as they come up). Sometimes those events slip by me.

If you like pickle backs to chase your shots, canned pickle juice is now a thing.

STORM THE MISSISSIPPI IT CAN’T DROWN ALL OF US is an event happening Friday, September 20 at 9 PM. From the event description: “INVITE EVERYONE. if we all naruto run at the same time we should be able to run across the river i think probably idk” Okay. Let me make a suggestion here. If you ride one of the Bird scooters into the river rather than run, you will be making less surface contact with the wheels than you would with your feet. Therefore, it seems you would be more likely to make it to Arkansas if you rode. Good luck to all of you. This is an event I can support because it will raise the average IQ in the city of Memphis.

From time to time I need to post this reminder: I am happy to accept friend requests on Facebook from people who read this blog who I have not met in person. However, if we have 5 or fewer friends in common, please message me first, and tell me that you read my blog, and if you’ve ever interacted with me, tell me that too. I tend to decline friend requests with 0-few friends in common to avoid scammers. Several of my friends have been hacked lately because they weren’t careful about accepting requests.

The 2nd annual River City Jazz and Music Festival will happen at the Cannon Center on Labor Day at 5 PM. This is put on by Fresh Ideas Entertainment and will feature Boney James, Regina Belle, Avery Sunshine, Glenn Jones, Paul “Snowflake” Taylor, Julian Vaughn, and PC Band. The event will begin with a cocktail hour in the lobby.

Food truck New Wing Order will celebrate its first birthday at Memphis Made Brewing Co. on Saturday, September 21. Full menu plus surprises and giveaways. Weather should be perfect for that one! Unless summer sticks around and it’s still 97 out, which sure as hell has happened the past few years.

I was told yesterday by a woman who used to have hair extensions that they cost her $500 plus $200 to put in. Daaaamn I knew they were not cheap, but I didn’t know they were that much. I know women who got hair extensions at least 3 times in one year. They’re basically supplying their stylist a down payment on a new car, doing that. Maybe I need to get a cosmetology license.

Clay’s Smoked Tuna has announced that starting Monday, their smoked tuna salad and smoked buffalo chicken dip will be available for purchase at Cordelia’s Market on the island.

As your number-one source of news and information about The Edge District, it is my pleasure to tell you that Evelyn & Olive, the Jamaican restaurant in the 600 block of Madison, is hiring! They need grill, line, and prep cooks. You get Sundays and Mondays off, store discounts, and it’s an opportunity to add to your skill set by learning Jamaican food. Send resume to darrin.evelynolive@yahoo.com if interested. So much going on in The Edge these days! Jamaican me crazy!

I tried the black bean patty sub at Lenny’s last night. I’ve had good luck with other black bean patties and hoped Lenny’s would be good too. My verdict: Meh. It wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great either. Even asking for “all the peppers” (bell, banana, jalapeno) didn’t add a lot of flavor. I’ll stick with Huey’s when I want a black bean burger, and since I’m not a vegetarian I’ll add bacon.

Memphis restaurant owners and managers, if you ever run sandwiches as daily specials you really need to be on the Memphis Sandwich Clique Facebook group. They are shooting for 5000 members by the end of next week and will likely get there. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get a lot of eyeballs on your offerings. Make sure you post a photo of the sandwich, list what is in it, and if you’re sharing a post from your own page make sure the name of the restaurant is in your post. There’s some debate as to whether hamburgers and hot dogs are sandwiches (personally, I think they are) but posts about them are generally allowed as long as they come from local businesses. There is an approval process once you request to join. It doesn’t take a very long time to be approved, but don’t expect to jump on that group and have your sandwich visible to its members 2 minutes later.

Over the years I have posted about products like PBR Hard Coffee and that venison sandwich at Arby’s that were only available in test markets, leaving my readers thinking, “I wish I could get that in Memphis.” Well, good news… Memphis is finally a test market for a product. Taco Bell is testing buffalo chicken nacho fries only in Memphis. You can eat this combo as fries, or you can have it rolled up in a burrito, either for $2.99. This product will only be here until mid-August, so hurry in if you want to try.

Just don’t post the buffalo chicken nacho fries to Memphis Sandwich Clique. That would likely get you banned.

Full Moon Kayaking returns to the Wolf River Harbor Thursday night, August 15. Meet at River Garden, 51 N. Riverside. DJ Ben Murray will play as you paddle around the harbor. Kayaks are available for free use on a first-come, first-serve basis or you can bring your own.

There will be a Friends trivia bar crawl this afternoon at four bars on Beale. Registration is at Jerry Lee Lewis’ Cafe 4 to 6 PM and the other three bars are Handy Cafe, Coyote Ugly, and Lew’s Blue Note Bar & Grill. You can play at the bars in any order you want. Play in teams of up to 8 people. There will be 25 questions at each bar, with the Geller Cup to the winning team and prizes for the 2nd and 3rd place teams. Drink specials at every venue. There will be raffles for tickets to future events, a costume contest, a photographer on site, and an after-party.

There’s also a Hidden Cash event today. Not sure if this will be Downtown, but these events are more often than not, so people can walk, trolley or (ugh) Bird. They post clues, you find cash. Do me a favor: If you attend this event, hit me up with a message and let me know whether or not it’s legit. I know nothing about the company putting it on as of yet.

Time for me to head to Bardog for Saturday Fun Day. Back tomorrow with more news.