Paul Ryburn's Journal

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.

I like what the Grizzlies did in the draft last night. With Ayton, Bagley, and Doncic off the board, there is absolutely nothing wrong with picking the best available player. It remains to be seen if Michigan State power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will be a star, but he won’t be a bust. He’ll fit nicely alongside Marc Gasol, he can shoot the 3, and he’s a good fit for modern positionless basketball. I am so glad the Grizzlies gave up the idea of trading the pick.

As for the 32 pick, Jevon Carter, I remember seeing him play a couple of times when good ole West Virginny was on TV. Impressive player, outstanding defense. After reading a little bit more about him, I had to wonder, “How did this guy fall to the second round?!” Sit him under the learning tree of The Conductor, develop him into a strong backup point guard, and in a few years time a lot of teams could regret not taking him.

The Grizzlies will introduce the draftees at 2 today at FedExForum.

Totally digging the Trae Young shorts-with-a-suit thing.

With the JJJ pick, I think it’s pretty safe to say that Jarell Martin better start packing.

Prediction: Mo Bamba has the personality to eventually be a TV/movie star as well as a top basketball star, in the mold of Shaquille O’Neal.

For those of you who miss the writing of Chris Herrington, he has a blog. Today he posted first thoughts about the draft.

Tonight is Star Wars Night at the Redbirds, playing New Orleans with a 7:05 first pitch. Characters from the movie will be roaming around the park to take photos. First 1500 fans get a Harrison Bader “Darth Bader” bobblehead, and the Redbirds will wear special Star Wars jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity after the game. $2 drafts in the Plaza before the start of the game. It’s Free Stuff Friday with prizes every inning and one fan getting to roll the dice for a chance at $50,000. Jaren Jackson and Jevon Carter will throw out the first pitch and will be in the concourse to meet fans after that.

Brit Floyd, the number-one Pink Floyd tribute act, will come to the Orpheum tonight at 8 for its tribute of the 45th anniversary of Dark Side of the Moon. The band will also play songs from Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, and The Division Bell.

WREG has a story about the tearing down of the Tri-State Bank building at Main and Beale. The bank moved its headquarters to Midtown and sold the property to Belz for a reported $3 million. Belz has not yet announced what they will do with the property.

Good news for those of you who like to bet on sports: Sports betting will be legal at casinos in Mississippi 30 days from now. Tunica is going to be the place to be during the upcoming football season. More tax money that could be kept here if our legislators weren’t so backward in their thinking about gambling.

Wiseacre Brewing Co. has lunchboxes now, featuring fossils from their Memphis Sands artwork. The backs of the boxes are left for you to decorate. Get them at the taproom or the Wiseacre online store.

South Main Sounds Songwriter Night 89 happens tonight at 550 S. Main, 7 to 9 PM. Performances by an international cast of Frank Caswell, Massimo Bevilacqua, Jason Middlekauff, Katrina Burgoyne, and Jess Smith

The folks at the Memphis Farmers Market want you to be eggcellent and shop with them this weekend. Crack open a farm-fresh egg at the Farmers Market (actually, don’t; take it home and crack it in your kitchen) this weekend. Kids can make crafts out of recycled egg cartons with folks from the Dixon 10 AM to 1 PM. Live, local music all day long. The Market runs every Saturday 8 AM-1PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

YOGA! There are two ways for you to support great local charities by doing yoga this weekend. mind body HAUS is partnering with St. Jude for a full day of yoga at the children’s hospital from 9 to 4 tomorrow. Teachers will be providing classes all day. Register here.

Over in Court Square from 11 to 1 tomorrow, you can join Streetdog Foundation for 108 Sun Salutations in honor of the Summer Solstice, led by Caroline Miles and Bridget Sisney and Special guest teachers from Sumits Yoga Memphis, Roxanne Sanders and Laurel Wiedower RYT 200. All love offerings go to Streetdog Foundation, and in addition to money they will accept physical donations that meet dog needs. Live music, yoga, and adoptable pups. They ask that you arrive 15 minutes early to have time to park and register.

High Ground News has several good stories this week concerning Downtown and surrounding areas. They have a report on the Uptown Concert Series that kicked off on June 5 and will continue every other Tuesday for six concerts. Very few things are more fitting in the South than getting to know your neighbors doing a little porch sittin’. Future concerts will be on porches on North Main, North Fourth, Keel, and Looney. A grant by the Memphis Medical District Collaborative made this series possible.

As your number-one source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to link to this High Ground article about Edge Motor Museum opening later this year at 645 Marshall. The museum will be great for exposing Memphians to the history of the neighborhood, and with tourists already interested in ’50s-’70s culture down the street at Sun Studio, Edge Motor Museum will give them an additional reason to visit The Edge.

For those in the Downtown core, High Ground has a look at the new Curry N Jerk restaurant opening at 126 Monroe. The restaurant will have a lounge downstairs with drinks and live music. Plans are not yet in place for the upper floors of the building.

Time to play “routes and controllers” (it’s not as much fun as “Chutes and Ladders”) for a few more hours, then it’s the weekend. Looking forward to a visit to Max’s Sports Bar to talk about the Grizzlies’ draft picks. Although I’ve researched Jevon Carter a little, I would be very interested in discussing his potential with any West Virginia fans who watched him play. Back tomorrow with more news.

The big day has arrived. The Grizzlies get to unwrap their present in the pretty box with the “4” wrapping paper and see what’s inside.

There will be an NBA Draft watch party, free for the public to attend, tonight at FedExForum from 6 PM until 30 minutes after the Grizzlies’ #32 pick is announced. Entertainment by favorites like the Grizzline, the Grizz Girls, and the Grizzlies Grannies and Grandpas. I Love Memphis Blog and SB Nation’s Grizzly Bear Blues will be there with giveaways, and Grizzlies on-air personalities and Grind City Media folks will be there as well. FedExForum concessions will be for sale, there will be a 50 percent off sale in the Grizzlies Den gift and clothing shop, and there will be free parking in the Toyota Parking Garage.

There is a lot of interest from other teams for trading for the Grizzlies’ fourth pick. The Grizzlies are said to be big fans of Wendell Carter, Jr. and might be willing to trade back a few spots to get Carter while unloading Chandler Parsons’ bad contract.

The biggest reason for all the interest from other teams is University of Texas center Mohamed Bamba with the freakish 7’10” wingspan. There are teams picking in the 6 to 9 range who really want him, but prevailing belief goes like this:

Para bailar la Bamba, se necesita
Una draft pick de cuatro
Or Dallas takes him at cinco
That’s what they think-o

I could live with such a trade only if 1) Ayton, Bagley, and Doncic are off the board; 2) the Grizzlies are positive Carter will still be on the board with the pick they receive in return; and 3) if they not only dump Parsons’ contract but get back a young asset who can contribute immediately, someone in the mold of Dillon Brooks although not necessarily at that position.

One thing’s for sure: Memphis cannot afford another Hasheem Thabeet or Tony Wroten-type pick. Nor can Memphis afford a DeMarre Carroll-type situation where they draft a player with potential and then fail to develop him. We will be watching the Seattle Grizzlies on TV in five years if the front office doesn’t get this pick right.

Cruisin’ Heavy headlines the Peabody rooftop party this evening. $10 cover, $20 VIP, ladies and hotel guests free before 7. Admission includes a buffet of mini spring rolls, pot stickers with soy sauce and hot mustard. VIP has a second buffet of mini lobster spring rolls, chicken satay with peanut sauce, assorted sushi, and fortune cookies.

The Redbirds have announced that their remaining Thursday home games, starting with tonight’s, will be televised in the Memphis market on Bounce. Bounce is on digital channel 5.2. For those with Comcast, it’s channel 906. The ‘birds play New Orleans at AutoZone Park with a 7:05 first pitch tonight. In addition to the all-you-can-eat wings specialty ticket I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there are $2 select draft beers for sale at locations around the park, and college students can purchase $5 bluff tickets with ID.

KIX on Beale is back with a free show tonight at 7 in Handy Park. Joe Nichols and Jimmie Allen will perform.

USA TODAY published a list of the best places across the USA to watch the World Cup. Downtown Irish pub The Brass Door made the list.

The Peabody is partnering with Victory Bicycle Studio to offer a rest & ride package.

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

My lunch adventure yesterday took an unusual route. Tuesday evening I posted to Facebook that I was thinking of trying a particular burger restaurant. I got several comments that the restaurant and its burgers were overpriced and overrated. One of the commenters suggested Sear Shack on Sanderlin instead.

So Wednesday I got on Google Maps and tried to figure out if Sear Shack was driveable from where I work on a lunch hour. “It looks like it is,” I thought. “If I’m late coming back, I won’t do it again.”

But then I started looking at what other restaurants were near there, restaurants that would also be on my lunch radar if Sear Shack was not too far to drive. Bosses, the wing and catfish restaurant on Poplar, caught my attention. They had an extra-hot wing sauce! I’ve been looking for extra-hot wings for lunch for a while. I decided I was more in the mood to eat wings than a burger, and made the drive to Bosses. It was not too far a drive. I was there in less than 10 minutes. Bright, clean place with several TVs to watch as you eat your food, friendly staff.

I ordered 6 wings with Questionable Decision sauce, which is what they call their extra-hot. The wings came with a big cup of blue cheese dressing (they have ranch if you prefer), and a generous portion of seasoned fries. Upon request they will give you celery at no extra charge.

Everything was tasty and I plan to come back… but not for the Questionable Decision sauce. That sauce was in no way, shape, form, or fashion extra-hot. When I eat extra-hot wings, I expect my eyes to be watering by the time I get to the last wing. I don’t even know if I would call this sauce regular hot. Bosses has a hot dry rub which, according to the menu, is slightly up the scale from Questionable Decision. I will try that next time. If that isn’t hot enough I may have to make a truly questionable decision and order the Suicide wings the time after that.

I’ll be watching the NBA draft at the Blind Bear tonight, with Perjorie T. Roll standing on the bar in front me for good luck. Back tomorrow with more news.

The CA has an article with 4 things to know about the new Bird scooters. Memphis is getting paid for having them here, helmets are encouraged but not required, Bird is committed to bringing transportation to low-income neighborhoods, and there are rules for parking the scooters. I downloaded the Bird app last night and signed up as far as I could without actually getting on a scooter. It gave me a “How to ride Bird” presentation which included local regulations. One of the regulations was “no riding within 5 feet of the trolley tracks.” In certain parts of South Main and the Pinch that is going to be near impossible to enforce because of the trolley stops.

Last night I talked with a friend who has ridden a Bird. He tried taking it up on a sidewalk and advised, “They don’t handle curbs well. Yeah, don’t do that. Stay on the street.” He also advised me, “If you get the scooter up to full speed (15-20 MPH) and then slam on the brakes, you will flip.” He also told me that the scooters have thick wheels and you don’t have the problem of them getting stuck on trolley tracks as sometimes happens with bikes.

He also advised me of something rather annoying. The first time you ride a Bird, you have to take a photo of the front and back of your driver’s license, as well as manually enter some information and agree to some terms. You can’t do this in advance. You have to do it while you’re standing right there next to the scooter. As my friend said, that is just a bad user experience and it was clearly not fully thought through by the developers. Don’t let this deter you from using the Bird; just make sure the first time you ride a Bird is sometime when you don’t absolutely, positively have to be at your destination in 5 minutes.

By the way – there’s another new form of transportation Downtown, a golf cart called “The Lifter.” You ride for free but tip the driver. The service is said to be on-point by those who have used it and the driver is a friend of mine. Next time I see him I will try to get a phone number to post. But in the meantime, if you see him and he doesn’t already have passengers, wave him down and he’ll take you where you need to go.

The all-you-can-eat specialty ticket returns to AutoZone Park tomorrow night featuring wings. The two-hour buffet also includes hot dogs and sides. The Redbirds tweeted today that only 100 tickets remain to tomorrow’s wings buffet.

Art Village Gallery will have a new summer solo exhibition by Portuguese artist Mario Henrique. Henrique is said to be fascinated by the unpredictability of human behavior and the impermanence of facial expressions. The exhibit will make its public debut on South Main Trolley Night, Friday, June 29. However, there will be a cocktail reception the night before, Thursday, June 28. Email info@artvillagegallery.com to RSVP to attend the reception and meet the artist.

The next installment of the gallery’s Exhibition Dinner and Dialogue series will be Saturday, June 30. It’s a combination of visual and culinary art along with thought-provoking discussion. Henrique’s art will be showcased with fresh cuisine from the country of Portugal by Chef Ana Gonzalez. Seating is very limited. Register here.

Uh oh, this is really bad news: A PBR shortage may be looming due to a lawsuit with Miller-Coors.

The City Council has approved a 13-year agreement with Memphis River Parks Partnership to manage the riverfront. The partnership is in the beginning stages of a $65 million transformation of the riverfront.

My plans last night fell through. After walking down to Max’s Sports Bar and having PBjaRni put one of the TVs on ESPN for the Arkansas-Texas Tech game in the College World Series, a message scrolled across the screen that bad weather was threatening Omaha and the game had been postponed until this morning. That left me in South Main trying to figure out what to do, but a little later, I caught a lucky break. A different TV was tuned to USA, where WWE Smackdown came on at 7. Yes! YES! YES! YES! YES! I got to watch an outstanding gauntlet match to determine the #1 contender to the WWE World title featuring Daniel Bryan, Big E, Samoa Joe, The Miz, and Rusev. For those who DVR’d it I won’t spoil the outcome.

After Smackdown ended, I stopped by Earnestine & Hazel’s. Last Saturday I decided E&H needed a better mayor on Foursquare/Swarm based on the “you are who you associate with” principle, and last night it got one! Me! I really enjoy that place. Think I’ll stop by Nate’s bar upstairs at E&H Friday night after my usual visit to Max’s. I have reason to be at E&H Saturday as well!

Sad to hear of the passing of 1990s pro wrestler Big Van Vader. He died of the same thing my mom did – pneumonia that lingered for weeks until his heart finally couldn’t take it anymore and gave out. If you have an older relative who has a long bout with pneumonia, don’t make the mistake I made of assuming they will pull through.

No lunch photo for this post. I went to Five Guys yesterday but it was a totally average experience and I’m pretty sure most of you know what a cheeseburger looks like already.

Time for a fun afternoon refactoring C# code then out for happy hour. Back tomorrow with more news.

Toward the end of the day yesterday I got a pleasant surprise in my email. “Your ticket to Inaugural Butcher Board Festival” was the subject. What?!, I thought. Although I was considering going to that event, I hadn’t got around to purchasing a ticket. I opened the email and read the details. Quantity:1 , Ticket type: Media Pass. Sweet!

Held on July 22 at the South Main Market food hall at 409 S. Main, the Butcher Board Festival will be a celebration of charcuterie. As you enter the festival, you’re given a small butcher board and are free to walk around sampling meats, cheeses, pickled items, fruits, sweets and other accompaniments as vendors talk about their offerings. You also get a tasting glass so you can pair your food with wines, beers, and ciders. This is going to be a lot of fun! Memphis has gotten creative with its food festivals the past few years and I love it!

I will repay the kindness of the organizers with lots of photos and information from the event. Expect to see lots of photos of a troll on a butcher board Monday, July 23.

Kemp Conrad has en excellent opinion piece on the new Bird scooters and how shared mobility is a benefit for everyone. I’m beginning to warm up to the scooters although I haven’t ridden one yet. The cool thing about them is they are dockless – you can leave them most anywhere. The app shows you where nearby scooters are so you don’t have a problem locating one. I will probably give these a try soon. They will make places accessible that are slightly too far from where I live to be walkable.

The Memphis Flyer has a How to Ride the Bird video.

Demolition has begun on the Tri-State Bank building at Main and Beale.

117 Prime has started a new Oyster Happy Hour at their bar. Every day (Monday-Sunday) from 4 to 7 PM they will have Gulf oysters for only 50 cents each.

Starting today, the Main Street trolley line will run every 20 minutes.

The results of the Handy Park redesign challenge will be announced at a public meeting at the park, corner of Beale and B.B. King, tonight from 5 to 7. Challenge entrants will discuss ideas for making the park more engaging and active. Register for the event here and first 200 to register get a free drink ticket. This event is 21 and up.

Wednesday, June 20 is Walk 2 Lunch Day in the Memphis Medical District. Tag photos of your walking adventures with #W2LD2018 for the chance to win some awesome prizes.

Kilchoman Cask Strength is the Whiskey of the Week at Belle Tavern. Taste it for half off the regular price through Sunday.

Yesterday for lunch, I went back to Amerigo. Multiple people had told me, “Paul, you must go on Monday. Their Monday lunch special is my favorite thing on the menu.”

The Chicken Courtbouillon is a grilled chicken breast over angel hair pasta, with mozzarella, a spicy Creole tomato sauce, and vegetables. The server asked if I wanted some shaved Parmesan on top, and of course I did. This is a dish that lived up to its reputation. Very very good. The people at Amerigo recognize me at this point, and say “Welcome back” rather than just “Welcome.” I plan on coming back soon, my plan being the Chicken Marsala that is on the regular lunch menu. I want to try their lasagna too.

It’s time to CALL THOSE HOGS!!! Arkansas plays Texas Tech in the 1-0 game of their bracket tonight at 6 on ESPN. I can think of no better place to watch the game than Max’s Sports Bar. I will head down there after work.

Yesterday Perjorie T. Roll and I were at D-RANKS with B-RAD, also known as Pontotoc Lounge’s Sunday brunch. You may remember that I asked Brad “Shrimp & grits or pot roast?” a week ago Sunday, and he suggested I try the pot roast, although it was a very close call. So yesterday I decided to try the dish I didn’t get to try the Sunday before.

You get 6 shrimp, Andouille sausage, and tomatoes in a butter sauce over grits. They do this dish very  well at Pontotoc and the sausage is what makes it stand out. It’s only available on the Sunday brunch menu. Definitely something I would consider ordering again, although it is not as filling as the pot roast.

I decided who to root for in the World Cup since Team USA didn’t make it. I will root for Mexico and England, because I have friends from those countries. Perjorie T. Roll wanted to root for China since that’s where she was made, but China didn’t make the field of 32 either.

How bout dem Hogs! Arkansas laid waste to Texas in the opening round of the College World Series. Even better, the only higher seeded team in the Hogs’ bracket, Florida, lost and is now one loss away from elimination. Arkansas plays Texas Tech tomorrow at 6 PM and weather permitting, I will be at Max’s Sports Bar to watch.

Back tomorrow with more news.