Paul Ryburn's Journal

NBA Summer League begins today, and the Grizzlies will have a team out there including draftees Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jevon Carter. Grizzly Bear Blues has all the info you need to know about Summer League, including the roster, how to watch, and storylines to follow.

The Orpheum Summer Movie Series kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday, July 3 at 7 PM with a showing of Independence Day. Doors open at 6 for fun activities in the lobby, including a photo booth and movie-themed drink specials.

The Mud Island River Park Independence Day celebration happens from 4 to 11 PM Wednesday, July 4. Lawn chairs and picnic baskets welcome. Live music by 5th Kind-Memphis, free rides for the kids, food and drink concessions, splash pad, and of course fireworks. This year they are offering something new, the chance to watch fireworks from the water. Launching from the cobblestone landing, you can rent a canoe or kayak for $20 an hour. You can bring your own for a $10 launch fee. Fireworks will start at 9:15.

What we learned this weekend: If you want to land a job, blow in a man’s ear. Lance Stephenson, who once blew in the ear of his new teammate LeBron James, has signed a 1-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Orpheum is hiring a vice-president of development.

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

Yesterday I got to enjoy one of the great smells of Memphis.

I was on my way to the Farmers Market when I noticed the door to Earnestine & Hazel’s was ajar and onions were on the grill. Clarence was preparing onions for the day’s Soul Burgers. I decided to move the Farmers Market back on the agenda and lead off at E&H. Once I had a PBR in my hand, I turned my attention to the bar’s legendary jukebox.

You know, the jukebox has 100 CDs which means there are about 1200-1300 songs to choose from, but it seems that the same tired old songs get played over and over again. I was determined to pick something different. The first CD I saw was Donna Summer’s Endless Summer, and I decided it was time for a disco party!

From the Summer album I played “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff” (RIP Eddie Gilbert), and “Bad Girls.” I played “Upside Down” by Diana Ross, “Dancing Machine” by Michael Jackson, and “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. From the Kool & the Gang CD I played “Fresh” and “It’s Too Hot” (a very appropriate song given yesterday’s blazing heat). I played some Aretha too although that technically doesn’t count as disco. A great Saturday morning! I still plan on Bardog being my main spot on Saturdays, but maybe once a month I’ll do the south loop and hit Earnestine and Hazel’s. Maybe the last Saturday of every month while the Farmers Market is in season.

Stop number two was Max’s Sports Bar, but I could only stay for a couple of PBRs. The Farmers Market was set to close at 1 and I had to get by there and check in on Swarm to defend my mayorship.

With an hour to kill before the BBQ meeting, I decided it was time to get something to eat. I walked south to Loflin Yard, where this happened.

“Can I go stand under the bridge, Paul?”

I should have known better than to take a troll to Loflin Yard. It’s her instinct to want to go do that. I wouldn’t let her though.

Her day improved when the salmon croquettes I ordered came out.

The troll likes foods that are the same color as her hair, so she was really excited about the greens. The salmon croquettes, available on Loflin’s brunch menu 10 to 3 and Saturday and Sunday, were excellent. They had my food out fast. I ordered a PBR and handed the bartender a 5 and he gave me three quarters back. $4.25 for a PBR?

After Loflin I walked over to South End for our BBQ debriefing meeting.

This was a wrap-up session, going over what worked and what did not. Of course, when you win 7th in Shoulder, you’re mostly going over what worked! We changed a board member’s title from Bar Manager to Quartermaster, but other than that there was no major news to report.

In the news: RAWK’n Grub has a new burger for the Memphis Flyer. RAWK’n Grub has moved their operation inside the Citgo at 630 N. Highland, but don’t let the location stop you from trying their outstanding food.

Time for D-RANKS with B-RAD at Pontotoc Lounge. Back tomorrow with more news.

Jazz singer Diana Krall will perform at the Orpheum tonight, a stop on her “Turn Up The Quiet” world tour in support of her new album. Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Tickets are $62.50-$118.

If you love the Memphis Grizzlies and are a good writer, there might be a gig for you. SbNation’s Memphis media outlet, Grizzly Bear Blues, is hiring. They are hiring for two paid positions, an Associate Editor and a Senior Staff Writer. They are also looking for one or two unpaid writers who will hold the title of Staff Writer, and who contribute as their schedule permits and as inspiration gets a hold of them. This is an organization that believes in development. For example, Kevin Lipe who writes about the Grizzlies for the Memphis Flyer was once a GBB writer.

The Center for Southern Folklore will have live music tonight 8-11. They’ll have Brazilian tunes as well as American jazz and rock from Claudia Valentin and Leroy Clark.

Good news for three Memphis Hustle players: They’ve been invited to NBA Summer League. Marquis Teague will play for the Toronto Raptors, Omari Johnson will play for the Golden State Warriors, and Chance Comanche will play for the Orlando Magic.

For those of you going to tonight’s Widespread Panic show on Mud Island, there will be an after-party at the New Daisy at 11.  Zoogma and Agori Tribe will play.

Lyrics at the Lorraine: The Power of Words happens tonight at 6 at the National Civil Rights Museum. All are welcome but this event is recommended for a mature audience. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

World Cup time!!! You know what that means! …It means absolutely nothing, because I don’t care about the World Cup. I’ll be doing south loop today: Farmers Market, Earnestine & Hazel’s, an undetermined next spot, and then a 2018 debriefing with the other leaders of the BBQ team. Tonight could get interesting. Back tomorrow or Monday with more news.

Got a couple of big events happening Downtown tonight. Legendary comedian and TV star Jerry Seinfeld brings his stand-up routine to the Orpheum at 7 PM.

Over at the Mud Island Amphitheater, Widespread Panic has 7:30 shows tonight and tomorrow. Due to the extreme heat, the promoters are allowing concert attendees to bring in up to 2 water bottles, as long as they are clear, sealed and not more than 20 ounces each.

The Flyer has an article about Anime Blues Con that happens at the Cook Convention Center this weekend. Over 4000 visitors and cosplayers are expected to show up.

Red, White and YOU! is the theme at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. Come buy fresh meats and veggies for your holiday celebrations next week. There will be Star-Spangled crafts kids can make in the Craft Corral. Live music all day long. The Market runs every Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

Bardog Tavern is doing the Summer of Brunch. From Monday, July 2 through Monday, September 3, Monday-Friday from 8 to 11 AM they will have brunch-priced drinks. That means Bloody Marys, mimosas, and screwdrivers will be only $4 each. It’s been my experience that Bardog opens at its usual 8 AM time on all holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas. So you know where I’ll be on the Fourth! Let’s see… the Fourth is on a Wednesday this year, so Bloom should be behind the bar.

Speaking of the Fourth, the Peabody rooftop will be open the night of July 4 for fireworks watching, and sips and snacks will be available. There is no cover, but donations will be accepted for St. Jude.

The Redbirds have announced that former WWE wrestler Kevin Thorn will be at Wrestling Night at AutoZone Park next Friday, July 6. Thorn competed as Mordecai in the early ’00s. Wow, Redbirds, way to tap that D-list talent for an appearance. Geez, even Virgil would be a bigger name.

I like my wings like I like my women… super hot (and not with a side of super crazy)

My quest for extra hot wings has finally led to success. Last Friday when I tried Portales Mexican Restaurant at 420 S. Germantown Parkway, next door to Lowe’s, I noticed there was a wing place called Wing King in the same strip mall. When I got back to the office I looked them up. They have whatever kind of wings you want – whole wings, party wings (flats & drummies), or boneless wings. In addition to their Regular Hot sauce, they have a Super Hot sauce. Yesterday at lunch I decided to go give that a try. Normally I prefer party wings, but not being familiar with the exact heat level of the Super Hot sauce, I decided to get boneless wings so I could eat them with a fork and handle them as little as possible. There’s nothing quite like inadvertently getting extra-hot sauce in your eye.

The restaurant was clean, the people who worked there were friendly, and my order came out pretty fast.

All Wing King wing orders come with a generous portion of celery and carrots, and you can make it a combo with fries (regular or seasoned) and a drink for $2.50 more. The heat level was exactly what I wanted from an extra-hot style wing. By the second wing my nose was running, and I had to make three trips to the drink machine for refills. I like how they put the celery and carrots in with the wings so the wing sauce gets on them. They have a napkin dispenser on each table, which is a good thing because you will need them. Even eating boneless wings with a fork I managed to go through seven napkins.

Well done, Wing King. I will be back. I think next time I may get the party wings combo but step it down to regular hot. Or, I may go for the garlic parmesan sauce to be different. If you live out in that part of town keep them in mind for your next party. The whole wings and party wings can be ordered in sizes up to 100 pieces. If you’re not into wings they have fried catfish, hamburgers, and a variety of “Wing King Things” including fried green tomatoes, mozzarella sticks, and fried chicken livers.

That’ll do it for this post! Heading to Max’s Sports Bar after work this afternoon. Back tomorrow with more news.

Great news for those who love the riverfront: There’s finally funding to complete the riverwalk so that Martyrs Park and Big River Crossing will be connected to the rest of the Downtown riverfront. The funding came as part of the $5 million “Reimagining the Civic Commons” grant.

Thumpdaddy, an interactive band that plays dance hits from the ’60s to today, headlines the Peabody rooftop tonight. $10 cover, $20 VIP, ladies and hotel guests free before 7. Admission includes a buffet of smoked chicken legs and jalapeno dip with Ritz crackers. If you’re in VIP you get a second buffet of BBQ smoked sausage on a stick, bacon beef sliders, and Peabody fried chips.

Craig Campbell and Danielle Bradbery play KIX on Beale tonight at 7:30. This is a free concert, sponsored by KIX 106, at Handy Park on Beale Street. It is free to the public and is open to all ages. Listen to the radio station today for the chance to win VIP passes.

If you feel like doing some jewelry shopping tonight, there will be a “Kendra Gives Back” party benefiting the Memphis Farmers Market tonight at Kendra Scott, 7515 Poplar in Saddle Creek, 5-8 PM. There will be refreshments and sweets, and 20% of any purchase made between 5 and 8 goes to the Market.

Anime Blues Con comes to the Cook Convention Center tomorrow through Sunday.

Random thing I learned from a National Weather Service tweet yesterday: You shouldn’t take a shower or do the dishes while it’s storming outside. Lightning can travel through the pipes and electrocute you.

You know, it’s weird… I’ve driven out to the Germantown Parkway/Exeter area to eat at Asian restaurants numerous times, and yet up until yesterday I had never been to the Asian restaurant right across the street from where I work, Sekisui East. So yesterday at 11 I crossed Kirby Parkway and went over there, and…

…found myself crossing back only a few minutes later. You see, Sekisui East doesn’t open for lunch until 11:30. I went back to work and tried again a half hour later.

I got the Nabeyaki Soda (Udon also available), a soup with fish cake, egg, shrimp tempura, and vegetables.

The shrimp tempura came on a separate plate, although in photos of this dish I have often seen it in the bowl with everything else so I posed it that way for the photo. It came with a shaker of chili pepper if I wanted to spice up my soup, but I didn’t use it. The white thing with the pink edges is the fish cake, and the round brown thing that looks like it has a flower on it is a very pretty mushroom. The flavor of the noodles was good and this was an interesting dish overall. As with most noodle soups, I had to let it cool down for a few minutes because it was too hot to eat.

I will be back at Sekisui East soon. I want to try their lunch box of chicken teriyaki, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and seaweed. It comes with miso or clear soup and a house salad (oh by the way the Nabeyaki Soba came with a house salad as well). You know, up until recently I’ve always ordered miso soup when given the choice because “clear” soup sounded so boring. However, I’ve since learned that clear soup is made with chicken broth, whereas miso has tofu in it (yuck). Clear soup it is from now on.

That’ll do it. Back tomorrow with more news.

South Main Book Juggler will host a book signing in conjunction with South Main Trolley Night this Friday from 6 to 9 PM. Author Earnest E. Lacey will sign his third book regarding the journey of his family, Hilton Street: From Memphis to Chicago. This book describes the family’s life as African-Americans during the 1950s Jim Crow era in Memphis and their transition to Chicago during the Great Migration.

WMC Action News reports that a suspected robber jumped in the Mississippi River to elude arrest. Monday night about 2 AM, he approached two women in a Downtown bar and asked them for money. After they left the bar, he followed them and snatched one of their purses. The next morning an MPD officer recognized that he fit the description and attempted to detain him. The suspected robber ran away and when he got to Beale Street Landing, he jumped in the river. He was soon hauled out and arrested.

Yo Gotti & Friends Birthday Bash happens tomorrow night, Thursday June 28, at FedExForum starting at 7 PM.

The Grizzlies have announced their Summer League roster. Of course, rookies Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jevon Carter are going. Other notables include former Tiger Markel Crawford, as well as both two-way players Kobi Simmons and Myke Henry, Deyonta Davis, and Wayne Selden. Davis is going to be under the gun to impress given the number of bigs on the current Grizzlies roster.

I Love Memphis Blog profiled Alex Castle, the distiller at Old Dominick Distillery. She took over the @memphistravel Instagram for a day, giving an in-depth look at the distilling process.

The annual Withers Creatives Festival happens tomorrow through Saturday at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery at 333 Beale. This festival is about developing creative talent in Memphis and this year the featured categories are photography, film, and music.

No lunch photo from yesterday but I want to compliment the Exlines’ on Wolf River Boulevard just west of Germantown Parkway. It was my first visit to that Exlines’ location. Service was great – I was in and out in under 45 minutes. The garlic loaf that came with my spaghetti with Aunt Vi’s meat sauce rocked my world.

If you’ve wondered what afternoon tea at Chez Philippe in the Peabody is like, check out this blog post.

Eric Mathews from Start Co. is looking for recent or future college engineering graduates looking for meaningful full- or part-time work in a growing medical device manufacturing company here in Memphis. Eric said the work is well-compensated. If you would be interested, hit him up at eric@neverstop.co.

The Arkansas Razorbacks pounded that Beaver last night, beating Oregon State to go up 1-0 in the best-of-three College World Series finals. They could take the championship in tonight’s game at 6 on ESPN. Much as I love watching Arkansas at Max’s Sports Bar, I’ve had it walking down there in the heat for now, especially since I have at least two more such walks this week: Friday (South Main Trolley Night) and Saturday (Farmers Market/Earnestine & Hazel’s/Max’s/BBQ meeting). I’m going to keep it close to home tonight and watch the game at the Blind Bear. Back tomorrow with more news.

South Main is planning a big Red, White & Blue Trolley Night for this Friday, June 29. The South Main Stage will be set up at Main and Talbot, future home of Slider Inn, with DJ Nugget Johnson of The Q 107.5 headlining. The DMC will provide games like cornhole and volleyball pong. There will be an area set up for South Main Association members with food and beverages, and if you aren’t an SMA member yet they’ll be happy to sign you up. Most of the stores in the South Main area will stay open until 9 or later so you can come shop and mingle with your neighbors.

Freewheel slow rides are coming to The Fourth Bluff six Thursdays this summer. These are bike rides at a leisurely pace along the riverfront and through Downtown Memphis, and when the ride is over they stop by a nearby watering hole. Explore Bike Share and Revolutions will lead these rides. If you don’t have your own bike, you can ride one of Explore’s for free on an as-available basis. Register to reserve your spot. The dates and places for the slow rides are

July 5: EBS Station at Second & Beale
July 19: EBS Station at Second & Beale
August 2: EBS Station at Court Square
August 16: EBS Station at Beale Street Landing
August 30: EBS Station at Court Square
Sept 6: Beale Street Landing

Pop-up Jazz comes to Court Square Sunday, July 8 from 6 to 8 PM. Hosted by by Deborah Swiney and Downtown Memphis, this event will highlight jazz in Memphis. Free, family friendly, and bring money for food trucks.

MIFA has a five-day challenge going on where a donor has offered to match your donation not once but twice. Give $25 and MIFA gets $75, give $100 and they get $300, you get the idea. This is ongoing through June 30.

DMC is reviewing eight proposed designs to revamp Handy Park and make it a modern park with amenities that will see more use. View the proposals here.

The Tennessee Brewery is adding apartments due to high demand. The 148 units originally planned are already 100% booked up, so they are going to convert a retail space into 3 more apartments. The one retail tenant will be a new So Fresh juice bar location. I wonder if that’s why we haven’t seen the So Fresh truck at the Farmers Market this year, because they’re planning a brick-and-mortar location nearby.

For those of you with kids 2-5 looking for things to do with them in the summer, the National Civil Rights Museum is hosting Small But Mighty Storytime Wednesdays at 10:30 AM. Each week they will read a book and do an activity together.

Action News 5 reports that the Tom Lee memorial could be removed from Tom Lee Park. The obelisk had not been replaced since it was toppled by wind last year, and insurance concerns are cited. However, the main reason a removal has been proposed is a line on the memorial that is inappropriate by modern standards.

For lunch yesterday I decided to make a return to Cafe Med, the Mediterranean restaurant on Kirby near Poplar. Previously I’ve sampled around their list of 18 different types of gyros, but yesterday I wasn’t hungry enough for a gyro so I turned to the Appetizers section of their menu. The apps you find on every Mediterranean menu were there, of course – hummus, tabouleh, babaghanoush. However, I wanted to try something different, and turned my attention to the Yassou dip, made with Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and garlic.

The dip comes with pita chips. It’s a good lunch for someone without a big appetite, or two people could split it as an appetizer. They are so nice there and I am lucky to have Cafe Med so close to work that I don’t even have to get in the car.

Sometimes the best plans don’t work out… last night I walked south to Max’s Sports Bar for Game 1 of the College World Series championship.I got there a few minutes after 6 with the Hogs and Beavers in a rain delay, and the Omaha radar did not look good. After 90 minutes they called it. I wandered over to Earnestine & Hazel’s for a $1.50 PBR before happy hour ended at 8. I didn’t play any songs but I went through the jukebox and composed a playlist in my head for Saturday. I have a BBQ team meeting that day not far from the Farmers Market so for one week only I’m going to skip Bardog and just hang out on the south side after I hit the Market.

Tonight I will return to Max’s Sports Bar after work as Omaha tries again to host Game 1 of the CWS finals. I will also make Earnestine & Hazel’s my second stop once again, as they have a jazz night beginning at 8 in memory of the late, great Keenan. Back tomorrow with more news.

When I was in high school, there was this park called Reservoir Park in west Little Rock where we would all gather. There was a fireplace and during the cold months they’d let us build a fire as long as we put it out before we left. I have never smelled anything quite like the smell of that smoke.

… Until yesterday. There was a celebration of a 30-year FedEx anniversary at Pontotoc Lounge brunch yesterday and B-RAD made Smoky Manhattans. He had special pieces of wood he burned over the cocktails to give them that smoky flavor, and it smelled so good.

If that sounds appealing, give one a try next time you’re in Pontotoc. Brad is there from 11 to 4 every Sunday.

She thinks she found another troll.

Let’s see what Brad’s regular customer Rahul has been up to lately.

If you’re not friends with Rahul on Facebook and Instagram, you’re missing out on this and the other 106 memes he posts daily.

I found Zambodian greetings in my email today. Prince Mongo has an apartment for rent near the trolley stop at Main and Butler. It’s a 1 bedroom for $950 a month, all utilities included, all appliances furnished. It’s a quiet and secure location and the neighbors are good people. Shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com if interested and I will put you in touch.

The Flying Saucer is having a seafood boil On Wednesday, July 4 from 4 to 7 PM. For $15 you can have crab legs, shrimp, clams, and crawfish. There will be canned beer specials and $4 drafts as well. If you’re coming, they ask that you get on the Facebook event listing and mark yourself as “Going,” so they can get an idea of how much seafood to prepare.

State Senator Lee Harris will be the featured speaker at the monthly Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting. It will be held at Sleep Out Louie’s tomorrow, Tuesday, June 26 at Sleep Out Louie’s. 6 PM social, program at 6:30. Sleep Out’s will provide light appetizers, and they will have happy hour prices on drinks.

We’ve made it to the finals of the College World Series. #5 Arkansas plays #3 Oregon State at 6 PM tonight, tomorrow night, and if necessary, Wednesday night. After work I will make the journey south to Max’s Sports Bar to watch my Hogs. Back tomorrow with more news.

What a fabulous day yesterday! After a lead-off at the Farmers Market, Bardog and Blind Bear, I headed south to Max’s Sports Bar to find out who Arkansas’ opponent would be in the College World Series national championship. I watched the game on the big deck out back.

The misters on the back patio work really well! Perjorie T. Roll was getting a bit moist. I was hoping for an all-SEC final but Oregon State defeated Mississippi State to advance to the final two.

Afterward I went over to Earnestine & Hazel’s for my friend JBell’s birthday party. Probably the first time since about 2007 I have sat at Nate’s bar both Friday and Saturday night of a weekend. It won’t be 11 years before that happens again! It won’t even be 11 weeks! I am undertaking a new Make South Main Great Again initiative and I plan to spend a lot of time in that part of town this summer. It’s time for the truth to be unleashed.

Let’s get on to the news… There is a bowl class hosted by Erica Bodine Pottery this afternoon at 1 at Ghost River. Make your bowl this Sunday, glaze your bowl next Sunday, pick up your bowl the Sunday after that. $35 includes all supplies.

The Rusty Pieces play Belle Tavern tonight at 6:30.

Today at 4, there will be a free musical celebration called One Memphis in Handy Park. This event will bring people of different religions and cultures together. It is family friendly and concessions will be available.

Random thing I learned yesterday: There’s now a Dolly Parton license plate in Tennessee.

Allison Krauss plays the Mud Island Amphitheater Sunday, July 14.

The Memphis Flyer is bringing back Burger Week July 17. Get a great burger for only $5.99 that week at restaurants including

Arnold’s BBQ & Grill-Memphis TN
Bardog Tavern
Carolina Watershed
Farm Burger Memphis
Flying Saucer Memphis
The Green Beetle – Oldest Tavern in Memphis
The Guest House at Graceland
The Grove Grill
Huey’s
LBOE
Memphis MoJo Cafe
RAWK’n Grub
Sammy Hagar’s Beach Bar and Grill
The Slider Inn
Tin Roof Memphis
Tops Bar-B-Q
UBEE’S Memphis
Wimpy’s Burgers and Fries

The Silly Goose is having Sunday Fun Day with DJs Tree and Mylon Webb today from 4 to 8 PM.

D-RANKS with B-RAD at Pontotoc Lounge is first on the list this morning. Pontotoc is not part of the Make South Main Great Again initiative because Pontotoc is already great. The truth is already known there.

Probably back tomorrow with more news. There’s always a chance I’ll take Monday off but Tuesday at the latest I’ll be back.

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of listening to Gary Parrish interview Jaren Jackson Jr. on my drive home. I am now completely convinced the Grizzlies made the best possible pick. That is an intelligent and well-spoken young man right there, and as GP points out his family upbringing made him who he is today. Coach Bickerstaff had a talk with Jaren and explained that defense wins games and that’s why he and Jevon Carter are here. The other bigs in the draft were all question marks on defense.

For those of you who were friends with Keenan from Earnestine & Hazel’s, Tuesday they will have a special Jazz Tuesday celebrating his life. His favorite band, the E&H Trio, will perform 8-11 PM.

Elmwood Cemetery will present a talk on the history of death Sunday, July 29 at 2 PM. It will be a look at how people ceremonialized the dead, from Neanderthal times to Egyptian mummies to sky burials, the beginnings of the modern funeral home, and more. The presentation will be indoors with air conditioning, and beer and snacks will be served. $15 per person.

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau has changed its name after 95 years. Henceforth it will be known as Memphis Tourism.

There’s a special Aldo’s Pizza Pies ticket for tonight’s Redbirds game. It includes a mug that gets you  bottomless fountain drinks tonight at the game, a coupon for a slice and a soda at Aldo’s, and discounted $3 draft beer, $3 ice cream floats, or $1 sodas when you bring the mug to Aldo’s through September 3. $2 beers in the Plaza before the game and fireworks afterward.

For yesterday’s lunchtime adventure, I got on Google Maps and explored restaurants near Germantown Parkway and Wolf River Boulevard. I found a menu for a Mexican restaurant named Portales. Named after the doors on old haciendas, Portales has been open about a year, bringing the taste of Jalisco to the area. They had several dishes that sounded interesting, but one section of the menu in particular caught my eye: Hamburguesas. I’ve been on a quest for a good burger recently, and although I haven’t made it to a couple of reader suggestions yet (Sear Shack, Buckley’s Lunchbox), I thought, why not give a burger at a Mexican restaurant a try?

It was an easy drive out there. Portales is in the strip mall next to Lowe’s. I was immediately impressed with its colorful decor.

They had a bar with the World Cup on TV but I decided to sit at a booth. I ordered the Hamburguesa Mexicana, with a patty made of ground chuck with chorizo mixed in as wall as jalapenos for seasoning. The burger came topped with lettuce, tomato, red onions, cheese, avocado slices, and a sauce (couldn’t tell you exactly what it was but it added a bit of spice). It came with a side of regular fries or seasoned fries, and of course being a Mexican restaurant, you get chips and salsa to munch on as you’re waiting on your food.

No one will ever accuse Portales of being weak with their salsa. My mouth was on fire by the time my burger arrived. As it should be.

The chorizo and jalapenos mixed into the meat gave this burger a unique taste. Really good! I will mention that the burger is quite messy (but again, as it should be, as anyone who’s ever eaten a burger at Roxie’s Grocery knows). You might want to ask for extra napkins if you order this. Also, this was a big burger – the patty was at least half a pound and possibly more than 10 ounces. I doubt I finished more than half of it.

I would encourage my readers who love burgers to give this a try next time you find yourself out in Cordova. There’s also a Habanero burger, as well as a Hawaiian burger that has pineapple as a topping. As for Mexican food, I plan a trip back to try the Burrito Del Mar, with grilled shrimp and tilapia and vegetables, topped with cheese dip and ranchero sauce. The chimichanga sounds worth a try too.

Hmmm there’s a Wing King with a “Super Hot” sauce in the same strip mall. May have to check that out next week.

Off to the Farmers Market then back north to Bardog, where I’ve been told Melissa will be bartending today’s brunch shift! Down to South Main for a party tonight. Rain is clearing out of here and it looks to be a great day.