Paul Ryburn's Journal

Folks, I have good news… well, sort of. Yesterday I was at the Silly Goose, watching the Women’s World Cup final, when I got a text from my neighbor watching the match down the street at the Flying Saucer. For over a decade the Downtowners have lobbied Saucer management to start carrying the Cadillac of beers, Pabst Blue Ribbon. It took forever but our efforts have finally paid off. My neighbor said they had PBR in 16 ounce cans.

I was excited and started thinking about how I would pencil in the Saucer into my day’s plans. I do miss the place. That used to by my regular hangout more than any other.

I texted my neighbor back. “Can you find out the price?” I was curious what they would charge. Most bars within a block radius of the Saucer are pretty consistent. Blind Bear charges $3 for a 16 ounce can. Silly Goose charges $3, except during happy hour (2-8 Monday-Friday) when it’s $2. Aldo’s Pizza Pies charges $3. I haven’t been in Local in a long time but I’m pretty sure they charge $3. I suspected the Saucer might go a bit higher. “Even if they charge $3,50 or even $3.75 or $4 a can, it’s worth it to get re-acquainted with the place,” I reasoned.

Well, I wasn’t wrong when I guessed they’d go higher on the price than their neighboring bars. I was only wrong guessing they would go “a bit” higher. My neighbor texted me back that the cost of a 16 ounce PBR at the Saucer is an astronomical FIVE DOLLARS a can. Are you kidding me? Does the Saucer’s management think their bar is located in the airport? Or in Manhattan? Or in the FedExForum concourse? Because at those places, I can see myself paying $5 for a PBR can. At the corner of Second and Peabody Place, I can’t. Not when I can walk an additional 150 feet and get the same product for 60% of the cost, 40% if it’s between 2 and 8 on a weekday.

I’ve never seen a bar with such a proclivity for trolling its own customers with the price points it sets. My neighbor asked the reasoning behind the price, and they said all domestics are $5. Five bucks for a Miller Lite 12 ounce bottle? I wish them luck trying to sell them at that price, but they sure won’t be selling one to me.

On to the news. The Trolls LIVE! stage show is coming to the Cannon Center February 22 and 23 of next year. Poppy, Branch and all your favorite trolls from the movie will bring their act to the stage for the first time ever. Tickets start at $15. There is also a VIP ticket that includes a party, a sing-along, a special gift, and the chance for a photo opportunity with the trolls.

I am so happy for the U.S. Women’s National Team, bringing home the World Cup once again. Snoop Dogg thinks the USWNT should be paid better, noting that they are way better than the “sorry ass men.” I totally agree. The USWNT team members will walk away from the World Cup pocketing $260K per player. If the men had won the World Cup, their bonus would be $1.1 million each.

While watching the Cup, a friend told me that The Usual Suspects are playing BB King’s on August 24. They are a band from Kennett, Missouri who comes to Memphis once a year to play at BB’s. They are notable because Sheryl Crow’s father is a member of the band. I did not realize that Sheryl Crow was from Kennett, in the bootheel of Missouri. I’m not making any promises but I was told that last year when The Usual Suspects appeared on stage, “a special guest” joined them for a couple of songs.

Later that day, that same friend and I were at the Blind Bear, where Tre, the bartender, was serving brunch until 6.

Friend: I want a pancake

Tre: We have waffles

Friend: I want a pancake

Tre: You’re getting a waffle. Same thing. I can step on it.

Here’s some Sunday brunch news that you can use: A friend posted that Curry N Jerk, the Caribbean restaurant on Monroe next to McEwen’s, is doing $15 bottomless mimosas for Sunday brunch.

Just got breaking news from The Daily Memphian that Shelby Farms has named a new restaurant tenant, and the restaurant will be operated by the people who own Flight. The have had tremendous success Downtown and I’m sure they will out east as well.

The Grizzlies have made another move, and this one is a bit surprising: They sent Delon Wright to the Dallas Mavericks on a sign-and-trade deal worth $29 million over 3 years. It’s good in that they got salary off the books without taking any back, but most people thought Wright was going to be backup point guard this coming season, providing some veteran backup for Ja Morant as he adjusts to the NBA. With Wright and Jevon Carter both traded, I’m not sure the Grizzlies have any other point guards besides Morant.

Chris Wallace: “Let’s give Shelvin Mack a call.” SHUT UP, CHRIS!

I just got a voice mail saying my Social Security number has been suspended because they noticed some suspicious activity. Are people really stupid enough to believe that?

Coco Gauff’s run at Wimbledon has come to an end. She lost in straight sets to Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3. Darn it. I was really hoping Gauff would go all the way.

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

I’ve always had really strong intuition. Outcomes of events come to me days before they happen. I remember back in 2005, when a bunch of us were brunching at Sleep Out Louie’s. We had the TV tuned to the weather, and Hurricane Katrina was about a day away from making landfall. “It won’t be as bad as the weather people are predicting. It never is,” said one of the guys at the bar.

I thought to myself – and I didn’t really consciously have this thought, it just came to me – “It’s going to fill up New Orleans like milk fills up a bowl of cereal.” I just knew it was going to be a disaster on scale with the 1872 Chicago fire and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Unfortunately that turned out to be the case.

Well, yesterday I got another intuition and I pray that I am wrong about this one. I had just gotten out to Bardog, and after chatting with the other regulars and the bartender a bit, I pulled up Twitter on my phone. Twitter is my main way for keeping up with the news. I follow plenty of local and national sources. I learned there had been a second earthquake 150 miles north of Los Angeles, a magnitude 7.1 quake. News analysts were calling the 6.4 quake the day before a foreshock.

At that point, I had a thought, and again I did not consciously think it. It just came to me.

“No, the 7.1 quake is a foreshock too.”

I just have a really bad feeling the two quakes are foreshocks for an 8-point-something quake that will happen within the next two weeks. Back in the days when iGoogle personal home pages were a thing, I had a live earthquake monitor widget. I would see that foreshock pattern from time to time on the Pacific Rim – Japan, Chile, Indonesia. I hope I’m wrong, but I think it may be California’s turn.

Loflin Yard and The Vault posted yesterday that they would open early for the Women’s World Cup final. So the complete list of places opening early (or already being open by 10 on a normal basis) are

• Downtown: Brass Door, Flying Saucer, Silly Goose, Majestic, Loflin Yard, The Vault, Max’s Sports Bar
• Midtown: Railgarten, Celtic Crossing, Sweet Grass/Next Door

Yesterday was the first day NBA teams could officially comment on trades they have negotiated. Grizzlies owner Robert Pera commented that Mike Conley’s #11 jersey will be retired. He has made similar comments about the jerseys of Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and Marc Gasol in the past.

If you want to try a different beer, Memphis Made Brewing Co. has Prince Mango on tap this weekend. This beer is a Zambodian IPA with aromas of frickle pear, pink zorbel berries, and overripe mango. At 8% ABV, it will make you feel like you’ve been on the spaceship to the planet Zambodia and back.

Orpheum president Brett Batterson is warning the public about the secondary ticket market for upcoming show Hamilton, which starts its Memphis run at the theater Tuesday. Tickets are being sold online for amounts like $750 and even $2000. Batterson said tickets can be had for much more reasonable rates through the theater’s ticket office, and tickets are being released right up to the days the shows occur.

The Brass Door has announced they will be closed Monday-Thursday to give their staff time to recover from a very hectic Women’s World Cup schedule. They will re-open Friday for lunch and will resume normal hours after that.

This is funny:

NBA TV has just shown Ja Morant in the stands eating chili cheese fries and Jaren Jackson downing some chicken fingers and fries. DO THE GRIZZLIES EVEN HAVE A NUTRITIONIST?

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) July 6, 2019

New Wing Order has announced that their special wing flavor for the month of July is Spicy Garlic. I will let you know the next time their truck is scheduled to make an appearance Downtown.

There will be a family-friendly birthday bash at Mud Island River Park this Saturday to celebrate summer birthdays. There will be a splash pad, inflatables, games, food trucks, music, hula hooping, an obstacle course and more.

Our city’s pro soccer team has introduced the Memphis 901 FC Collection:

Soccer is more than a game. It’s a lifestyle.

Introducing the Memphis 901 FC Collection: https://t.co/Dcv6Or6i4F

Available TONIGHT in-store only beginning at 6:00 PM at @AutoZone_Park. #901FC | #DefendMemphis pic.twitter.com/A0TZXZQwxS

— Memphis 901 FC (@Memphis901FC) July 6, 2019

By the way, I want to send compliments to whoever is doing the Memphis 901 FC Twitter account. You are KILLING IT, sir or ma’am. I had to scroll way back in the 901 FC Twitter feed to find the tweet above, but that’s a good thing. Yesterday was game day and I didn’t get a chance to watch. That feed made it possible for me to re-live the game as it happened. Everything from injury reports, to video of goals and other key plays, to substitutions, to the final score and post-game celebrations of the victory – it was all right there. Very well done. Give @Memphis901FC a follow on Twitter if you haven’t already.

I’m headed to the Silly Goose to cheer on the USWNT. Back tomorrow with more news.

I learned of one more bar that is opening early for the Women’s World Cup final tomorrow. Max’s Sports Bar will open at 9:30 AM. So, Downtown, Max’s, Brass Door, Flying Saucer, Silly Goose, and Majestic will be open by the 10 AM kickoff; in Midtown, Railgarten and Celtic Crossing will be.

The monthly Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting has been set for Tuesday, July 16 at the Bradford-Maywell Home at 648 Poplar, home of DNA board member Jerred Price. This is an 1859 home on the edge of Victorian Village. Mayor Strickland will be the guest speaker and there will be beer wine, and live music.

There is also updated information about this month’s South Main Association meeting, happening Tuesday, July 9 at River Garden, 51 Riverside. The event will start at 6 with free yoga from Our Yoga Memphis. Just bring a mat or towel to the grassy area. Light refreshments will be provided by 4th Cup. After yoga the presentation will begin at 7. Free for members, $10 for guests.

Also, all day long Tuesday, Kayak Memphis will be offering kayak rentals for half-price when you mention “South Main Association” at checkout.

Memphis 901 FC hosts Hartford Athletic tonight at AutoZone Park at 7:30.

Memphis River Parks Partnership has plans to improve Memphis Park on Front Street to make it a more inviting space.

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired center Dwight Howard yesterday, trading him for CJ Miles in a move that will free up salary space. The Daily Memphian’s Jonah Jordan reports that he will likely never play a minute in a Grizzlies uniform, and I certainly hope that is the case. Remember early this decade when the Bleacher Report was writing about “Who will win the D12 sweepstakes?” in free agency? No one but D12’s bank account won. He turned out to be one of the most overhyped players in recent memory and an attitude problem as well. I hope his presence on the roster doesn’t cause Ja Morant to have to wear a different number.

I got a new patriotic koozie at the July 4 rooftop party!

I’ll be carrying it around through the weekend to show support for the US Women’s National Team. My troll thinks I should get a Chinese flag koozie because China is where she was made. No, I am not walking around with a Communist koozie.

Memphis needs more superheroes, so Neighborhood Heroes of Memphis and Fourth Bluff are teaming up to offer superhero training to kids. The training will happen at Mud Island River Park near the new Memphis sign on Saturday, July 14 from 1 to 4 PM. There will be free costumes and comic books. Kids of all ages are welcome but the target age is about 7 to 15.

Terrace, the bar atop River Inn on Mud Island, is the featured bar in Jennifer Biggs’ Bar Talk this week. Learn how to make a Juniper Fusion.

They are re-launching the songwriter night at Tin Roof on Tuesdays. Contact Mark Parsell at markmusic@att.net if you are interested in playing. Mark is a good person to know if you are a musician in this town.

Denver plans to round up its Canada geese and turn them into food for the needy. Hmmm. Not sure whether to be happy they’re feeding the hungry, or sad for the geese.

From Food and Wine: 13 craziest things people have seen customers do at nice restaurants

The Amber McCain Duo will play Tacos-N-Tunes at Tin Roof Tuesday at 7. $1 off tacos, $1 chips, $5 margaritas, $3 Mexi-beers.

WHOA… I just pulled up Bleacher Report and saw that Kawhi has agreed to sign with the Clippers, and OKC is trading Paul George to the Clippers for a couple of players and a massive number of draft picks. Well, that likely puts an end to the possibility of a second ring for Marc Gasol.

If you plan to buy a new Windows computer any time in the near future, print this article out and save it for future reference. It’s 9 things to do before you start to use a new computer and it is absolutely spot on. I cannot stress enough how important number 4, “Create a recovery drive” is.

Congress is cracking down on Facebook’s plans to launch its own cryptocurrency. Good.

Convenient: You can now return products you ordered from Amazon at any Kohl’s location.

That’s it for now. Off to Bardog for Saturday brunch. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

I know I’m late to the party talking about this since I took the day off yesterday, but I gotta say it…

WE GOT RID OF CHANDLER PARSONS!!!!!!

For those who haven’t heard, the Grizzlies traded his bad contract and his bad attitude to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Memphis took back Solomon Hill and Miles Plumlee. Geoff Calkins called it Independence Day for the Grizzlies. In his article he quoted then-head of the front office Chris Wallace from 2016: “We don’t see it as taking any risk at all.”

If Chris Wallace had to name an all-time Grizzlies team, he’d probably put Allen Iverson at the 1, Jeff Green at the 3, Parsons at the 4, and Hasheem Thabeet at the 5. I can’t figure out who the shooting guard would be.

What a great Fourth! My apartment building threw a rooftop fireworks watch party. We had DJ Tree, hot dogs, pulled pork, and wings. It got packed up there! People love a good rooftop.

A new bar and a new juice bar are soon to open Downtown, the Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog reports. Bar Ware and Juice Brothers will open in the 266 Lofts space at 276 S. Front.

I have updated information on two bars opening for the Women’s World Cup final Sunday. The Silly Goose will open early at 9:30 AM and will have specials on mimosas, Bloody Marys, sangria, and local draft. The Flying Saucer will open at 10 AM with $4 local drafts and brunch until 2.

Got things to do so I’m going to cut this one short. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Happy Independence Day Eve! Y’all are sitting there waiting for the “office is closing early” email, aren’t ya?

The US Women’s National Team beat England 2-1 yesterday in the semifinals of the World Cup. They will advance to the finals, where they will play the winner of the Netherlands-Sweden match which happens today. The finals are set for 10 AM Central Time Sunday, which is kind of a problem because most restaurants and bars are not open at that hour. I took a poll on Facebook and here is what I found:

• Majestic Grille opens at 10 on Sundays anyway. They have 2 really nice flat-screen TVs at the bar.
• Silly Goose will be open (I have that confirmed from the owner)
• Flying Saucer will be open (confirmed from an assistant manager/bartender)
• I don’t have it confirmed but I feel it’s pretty safe to say Brass Door will be open
• Out in Midrown, Railgarten will be open (confirmed from the GM)
• Safe to say Celtic Crossing will be open as well

South End continues to grow. 13 single-family homes and one apartment building are being proposed for 27 West Carolina, currently a vacant lot that sits next to Loflin Yard.

Tonight at the Halloran Centre, the New Olivet Worship Center presents America Bless God: Independence Day, a Memphis Music Tribute to the USA with Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum. Jr.

A website called Smart Meetings has an article on how Leo Events, headquartered out in The Edge, creates magical, immersive moments for its clients and their guests.

The Bluff City Bandits, a six-piece country cover band, headline the Peabody rooftop party tomorrow night. $15 cover/$30 VIP gets you live music and a DJ between sets, a great view of the fireworks, and a buffet of pigs in a blanket and mini corn cobettes on skewers. If you’re in VIP you get a second buffet of potato salad, chicken kabobs, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, charred corn salad, and mini blueberry pies.

The largest post-game fireworks show in the history of AutoZone Park will follow the Redbirds game tonight as they wrap up a long homestand. Gates open at 5:00, and first pitch is 6:35. The first 1000 fans in the gate will get a sunscreen packet from the American Cancer Society, as part of Major League Baseball’s “Cover Your Bases” initiative. The Redbirds will wear Independence Day themed jerseys. After the game the jerseys will be auctioned off and the winner of each jersey will get to meet the player who wore it and get an autograph. There will be a specialty ticket that includes a buffet of hamburgers, hot dogs, fixings and sides, and Coca-Cola products (2 drinks per person).

You can kayak under the fireworks tomorrow night for the city’s fireworks show. Rentals will take place at the cobblestones.

Riverfront Storytime returns Friday, July 5. It will happen behind the Cossitt Library and stories will be read to kids at 10 AM and again at 6 PM.

Sage will be closed all day tomorrow and for lunch Friday to give their employees time to enjoy the holiday.

The Eat to Live Vegan Festival will take place Saturday, July 13 at the MLK Center, 485 Beale. There will be a holistic health speaker, live entertainment by Official Grey, cooking demos, and free food samples. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

A Memphis man broke his neck and is now paralyzed from the waist down following a Bird scooter crash.

New diner 3rd & Court is looking to hire some solid line cooks. They’re also looking to hire a baker who can do biscuits, buns and pies. Mornings and nights available. Apply in person at 24 N. B.B. King.

The Memphis Flyer’s Meghan Stuthard visited Kooky Canuck recently and wrote about it.

Save Tom Lee Park & the Festivals is organizing a Human “M” event to make their voice heard loud and clear. Participants are asked to wear blue shirts (Memphis Tigers shirt if you have one) and will form a giant “M” in Tom Lee Park which will be photographed by drone.

I didn’t have to wait until July 4 to enjoy the fruits of the grill. Yesterday my buddy Ron brought me a slab of ribs.

Thanks Ron for feeding me and also for the reminder that I have some really great friends.

Unless there’s something really big or timely that comes up, I’m going to take tomorrow off from blogging. Back Friday with more news.

I’m going to start off this post with an update on how my new mattress is doing.

For those who don’t know the back-story, I had been badly in need of a new mattress for a couple of years. I assumed that a quality mattress would set me back $700 or more, so I put off the purchase longer than I should have. Then one Sunday at the Blind Bear, a friend told me she ordered a memory foam mattress from Amazon. She said it was only about $150 and was very comfortable.

I was skeptical that a good mattress could be had for that price, so for a long time I did not get on Amazon. However, in March of this year, “Springy,” my old mattress, became so uncomfortable that I had to do something. I got on Amazon and found the AmazonBasics Memory Foam Mattress. It was $169. I added it to my cart and with shipping and tax it was $215. For that small amount of money I figured I’d take a chance. It was shipped to me in a large box which I was able to haul from my apartment’s leasing office to my apartment by myself. Nice, no waiting on a delivery truck! I cut open the cardboard and over the next 15 minutes the mattress filled out to its full size. I let it rest 72 hours before sleeping on it, as the instructions recommended.

Three months later, I LOVE my mattress. It is so soft and comfortable, and yet there is plenty of support as well. I probably even go to bed earlier than I used to because I am so excited to sleep in my bed. I haven’t reviewed it on Amazon, but if I do I will give the mattress five stars. If I slept on it not knowing the price, and somebody told me it cost $800, I’d have no problem believing them.

However, two minor things:

• This mattress is very soft… which I love, but if you’re the type of person who requires a very firm mattress, this will not be the right fit for you.
• Because the mattress is memory foam and has no springs, you can’t easily bounce out of bed in the mornings. You have to make an effort to pull yourself up.

The Peanut Shoppe on Main between Madison and Monroe will be open for the first time ever on July 4 this year. Go see them between 10 and 5. I’d like to make a personal plea for my readers to shop with them. Due to construction down the street, visibility to their entrance is partly blocked and I think that has caused a lot of people to pass them by without realizing there is a nut and candy store there. Also, the closure of Court House Deli next door has led some people to assume the Peanut Shoppe closed too – no, they are open. These are wonderful, local people and they deserve your support.

There will be a total solar eclipse in parts of Chile and Argentina today. Here’s how to watch it from anywhere in the world. Coverage will begin at 12:23 PM PDT, which would be 2:23 our time.

One of my readers had an idea how to satisfy everyone at Tom Lee Park. He said, if AutoZone Park can be converted from a baseball stadium to a soccer stadium and back, could something similar not be done for Tom Lee? That’s an idea that’s ambitious, to say the least, given that the purpose of Tom Lee Park is to shore up the bluff as much as it is to give people a place to go.

Man, the Bird scooters are getting no love at all. A scooter graveyard was recently cleaned up in South Memphis, where about 25 Birds were found dumped at the end of a road.

I’ve never been a coffee drinker but I may have to become one. PBR Hard Coffee is a thing now. Produced by Pabst, the coffee is 5% alcohol by volume and is said to taste like Yoo-Hoo or frappucino.

Programming note: I may take July 4 off from blogging, unless something big or time-sensitive comes my way.

USWNT vs. England is on at 2. Silly Goose is my probable watch destination. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog reported some unexpected news last week: A Jimmy John’s is going into the former Agave Maria location. Since Cafe Samovar closed about 15 years ago, no restaurant in that location has managed to become a long-term success. Some Downtowners are against any chain restaurants in the neighborhood, but I think this is a good move. Jimmy John’s should do well there, even without a parking lot, given the number of corporate offices and residents within a few blocks’ radius. I wonder what their hours will be; will they close at 8 like Lenny’s or stay open later?

Volunteer Memphis posted a very interesting volunteer opportunity recently. ITN Memphis, a nonprofit that provides transportation for seniors and the visually impaired, is looking for a volunteer social media coordinator. This volunteer will engage the community on Facebook and Twitter, posting text, images, and videos. They will also provide reports on engagement, page views, clicks, and other analytics.

Quiche is one of those foods I avoided as a child. Asparagus and mac & cheese were too, but as an adult I have grown to appreciate all of them.

Yesterday I felt compelled to go back to Pontotoc Lounge for brunch, because of the amazing open-faced bacon biscuit (on the menu as Mister Crunch) that I had the Sunday before. That day it was a tough choice between the bacon biscuit and the chef’s choice quiche of the day, a steak and jalapeno quiche. When Brad told me the steak and jalapeno quiche was back for a second Sunday, I had to order it.

The food at Pontotoc has always been good, but it seems like the kitchen has taken their brunch game to a whole new level recently. The quiche was fantastic – meaty, cheesy, eggy goodness with the jalapeno giving it just a little kick without the heat being overpowering. The side salad was a nice counterpoint.

I didn’t have one, but they also has a brunch drink special yesterday: watermelon jalapeno mimosas.

While at Pontotoc, I looked out the window and saw a guy riding a Bird down the sidewalk, texting, not paying a bit of attention to what was in front of him. Someone could have walked out of any one of those storefronts at any moment and he would have plowed right into them.

We got Iggy! The Grizzlies acquired Andre Iguodala from the Golden State Warriors last night. The Warriors needed to rid themselves of his salary and were willing to throw in a 2024 first-round draft pick to make the deal. The Grizzlies were able to do the trade because of the $25 million trade exception that was created when Mike Conley went to Utah. I’m curious how the Grizzlies are going to pay him and remain below the luxury tax line. It’s possible he may be bought out, but I hope not. I hope to see him on the court in Beale Street Blue this fall. He’s one of the best sixth men around.

The Grizzlies also signed center Jonas Valanciunas to a new contract last night as well, at 3 years and $45 million. This is a great move as well. Valanciunas had a fantastic 27 games with Memphis last season. Jaren Jackson Jr. will eventually be the Grizzlies’ starting center, but he’s not ready yet and it’s better to play him at power forward right now and see a little time as backup center.

The July South Main Association meeting will offer river views. It will be Tuesday, July 9 at River Garden, with social at 6:00, and presentation at 6:30. More details to come.

It’s been reported on Nextdoor that there is a flasher who hangs out in Court Square. He is said to be out there showing people his junk in the early morning, around 5:30 to 7:30 AM. He was in jail for a month but now he’s out and right back at it.

The Daily Memphian had a talk with the first general manager of Central Station Hotel, Jeremy Sadler.

An important voice, Henry Turley, weighed in on the future of Tom Lee Park. There’s some interesting history of Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive in there too.

Don’t forget that the new hands-free law becomes effective in Tennessee today. It is now illegal to hold an electronic device with any part of your body as you drive.

The Memphis Flyer had a talk with a representative of Atomic Rose, the new LGBTQ-friendly restaurant and nightclub soon to open Downtown.

For those of you who are eager to try the food from the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck, which I have heard absolutely lives up to the hype, come to the Memphis Farmers Market Saturday. The truck will be in the Market’s food truck area.

There’s a new fellowship program for chefs of color. High Ground News has the details.

Style Blueprint has a list of Memphis’ 12 most romantic restaurants, and several of them are Downtown: McEwen’s, Felicia Suzanne’s, Itta Bena, Chex Philippe, and Flight.

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

I want to start off this post with a couple of Downtown food backs that I discovered in the past week. The first one is a Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos hack. My friend Tyler ordered three chorizo tacos, rice and beans there, and as he ate I noticed a couple of things. First of all, he wasn’t being careful at all about meat falling out of the tortillas as he ate. Second, he went through all three of his tacos without touching his rice and beans. However, when he got done eating his tacos, I discovered he had a master plan. He got a fork and mixed the chorizo that had fallen out of his tacos in with his refried beans. Then he mixed in the rice. Tyler, that’s brilliant! That’s not just a snack, that’s a whole meal!

The second food hack is for Bardog Tavern. I was in there yesterday and the guy two seats down from me ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, and a side of the sauce they put on their Buffalo wings. When it came out, he mixed the wing sauce in with the spaghetti. Although it seems like sacrilege to add anything to Aldo’s grandma’s balls, I am intrigued by that idea and may have to try it!

Hmmm…. you what else I bet would be good? Bardog tends to offer chicken parmesan over spaghetti as a special about once a week. Wing sauce on top of that would be tasty, I bet.

The Memphis mayor’s race now includes a candidate from the planet Zambodia. Prince Mongo, who has been running for mayor since the late 1970s, has thrown his hat in the ring once again. He had been talking about considering it on Facebook for the past couple of weeks. Although he’s never won the mayorship, he has perhaps had a substantial effect on an election. In 1991, Willie Herenton got 49%, Dick Hackett got 49%, and Mongo got 2%, with a slightly higher decimal giving Herenton the office. To this day people wonder if Herenton, the city’s first black mayor, would still have won if Mongo had stayed out of the race.

The voters will decide whether Mongo is the most qualified candidate, but I will say on a personal note that Mongo has been a good friend to me. Also, I will note that his platform calls for putting casinos on Mud Island, which I personally think is an excellent idea.

Someone’s been throwing e-scooters in the river in Portland. The sheriff’s office there found 57 of them in the Williamette River in two days. The sheriff’s office said the scooters don’t belong in the river. True, but they don’t belong on the sidewalk either and that’s where people ride them.

Tickets are on sale for Uncle Curly’s Call Center at the Cannon Center on Saturday, July 13.  I have absolutely no idea what that is but just based on the name, I figured it was worth mentioning.

Well this is interesting: The International Olympic™ Committee has provisionally added breaking as a sport for the 2024 Olympics™. Breaking is the activity you probably know as breakdancing. Members of the Olympic™ Committee say they’re trying to open the Olympics™ up to be more gender-balanced, more urban, and to have more appeal to the younger generation.

Here’s an idea for a movie title: Breakin’ 3: Olympic™ Pageantry

I have to admit, a couple of weeks ago I was very worried about some of my friends, who had traveled to the Dominican Republic for a birthday celebration. Americans have been dying there while on vacation. Authorities are now advising tourists to stick with beer while there, because counterfeit booze may be what’s killing people.

I bet some of my readers will wish we had this in Memphis: There’s a theater in Texas that allows you to bring your dog and has $15 bottomless wine

This is awesome: The Orpheum is now offering new accessibility features for some of its Broadway shows. The GalaPro app will allow people who attend a show to have closed captioning, and where available, audio description.

WTF? There will be stuffed turkey legs at the Chick-Fil-A on Winchester today. You can get them stuffed with shrimp and alfredo sauce, or dressing and gravy. Chick-Fil-A isn’t even open on Sunday!

That’s the news for today. Brunch at Pontotoc was so good last Sunday that I think I’m going to have to go back. I’ll probably hang out there for the afternoon then head down to my home away from home on the south side, Max’s Sports Bar. Back tomorrow with more news.

Ah, the sounds of Downtown late at night. Usually I am a sound sleeper but last night I had insomnia for some reason. I was treated to an hours-long cacophony of engines revving, tires squealing, people yelling, car horns honking, and fire engine sirens. I had forgotten how noisy Downtown could get after midnight.

Riding those Bird or Lime scooters drunk will get you a DUI effective Monday thanks to a new Tennessee state law. Weird that a separate law had to be passed to cover the scooters. I thought the existing DUI law would have applied to any vehicle being operated on a Tennessee roadway. Col. Keith Watson with MPD said he hasn’t noticed a problem with drunk people riding scooters. He needs to come Downtown today and look around! I guarantee you it happens. I am 100% in favor of this new law. If you need to get from point A to point B, it’s too far to walk and you’ve been drinking, a Lyft or Uber is a much safer choice. Other options are The Lifter and Trips for Tips, two golf cart-based services that will take you where you want to go for free, but a tip is customary.

Memphis 901 FC hits the road today to take on Charlotte Independence. The game will be at 6:00 and will be on CW30 locally. Memphis’ soccer club made quite an acquisition this week, Brandon Allen, the 2016 USL Cup finals MVP.

Tonight’s the night someone walks out of AutoZone Park with a $5400 Rolex, and it won’t be because they stole it (although that would be a reasonable assumption, given that this is Memphis). The Redbirds are teaming up with Sissy’s Log Cabin to give away the watch, to be won the fan who guesses the time of the end of the game. Guesses must be in by the start of the first inning at 6:35. There’s a specialty ticket tonight, one that gets you a Cardinals giveaway without having to make a trip to St. Louis. It’s a double bobblehead of two of baseball’s great humanitarians, Yadier Molina and Roberto Clemente. Yadi was the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award in 2018. Following tonight’s game, there will be fireworks.

Social media taught me something I didn’t know yesterday and it’s useful information that I thought I’d share: If a service dog without a human approaches you, it is saying to you, “Please follow me, my human is down and needs help.”

The Grizzlies have released their 2019 Salt Lake City summer league roster. Jevon Carter, Ivan Rabb, and Yuta Watanabe are the most recognizable names, but there’s another on there I’m excited about – Dusty Hannahs, an Arkansas alum who has been a key player on G-League team the Memphis Hustle the past 2 years. Draftee Ja Morant is rehabbing an injury and will have to sit out Summer League.

Brandon Cunning will perform a tribute to Sun Records at the Dirty Crow Inn tonight 9 to midnight.

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

Yesterday I figured out the name I will use if I ever become a professional wrestler: The Keyboard Warrior, a nod to my life as a blogger. Jim Helwig was the Ultimate Warrior. Kerry Von Erich was the Modern-Day Warrior. I’ll be the Keyboard Warrior.

“This event is for one fall, with a 10 minute time limit. Introducing first, in the red corner, from parts unknown, the Masked Avenger. And his opponent, in the blue corner, originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and now making his home in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, “The Keyboard Warrior,” Paul Ryburn!

Let’s get on to the news…

Tonight is Yo Gotti’s Birthday Bash with special guests at FedExForum. Buy tickets

Leslie Odom, Jr., a Tony and Grammy award winner, will perform tonight at the Orpheum. He will be backed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

Red, White, and You! is the theme at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. They’ve got everything you need for your July 4 cookout. The kids’ Crafts Corral will have a patriotic focus this week. Master Gardeners will be on site to answer any questions you have. Live music all day long. The Market runs 8 AM-1 PM every Saturday in the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, behind Malco Powerhouse.

Seen on the Flying Saucer Masters of the Universe Facebook page: Guy checks single can of beer after airline tells him he can’t board with it. Our hero!

Elite Total Health is now accepting appointments made through Facebook.

WMC Action News 5 reported on the Downtown parking study that was conducted recently. Although there is ample parking to handle the volume of cars that come Downtown, there’s a perception that parking is hard to find.

If you like goats, mark October 5 on your calendar and fill the car up with gas. There will be a goat festival in Perryville, Arkansas.

Daniel at the Silly Goose is looking for a well-experienced wood fired oven chef.

Beale Street Art Crawl is this Saturday from 1 to 7. Come see the works of over 50 different artists.

Loflin Yard will host Naughty Pictionary on July 18.

You know how plant-based burgers have been all the rage lately? Well, Arby’s is answering the movement by going in the opposite direction with carrots made of meat.

For my fellow wrestling fans: Paul Heyman has been named the executive director of WWE Monday Night Raw and Eric Bischoff has been named the executive director of WWE Smackdown Live. These are not on-camera characters, but rather backstage roles where Heyman and Bischoff will oversee the creative direction of WWE’s flagship shows. They will report directly to chairman Vince McMahon. My reaction to the hirings:

Heyman/Raw: Excellent excellent excellent. I hope they revert Raw to TV-14 so Heyman can be at his best.

Bischoff/Smackdown: So 6 months from now, Hulk Hogan will be WWE World Champion, the Nasty Boys will be Smackdown tag team champions, and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan will be the Intercontinental champion. Madusa will come out of retirement to win the Smackdown women’s title from Becky Lynch, then will throw the belt in a trash can.

Fire alarm’s going off, so I gotta run. Apologies if typos in this post. Didn’t have time to proofread. Back tomorrow.