Paul Ryburn's Journal

Got a question for my readers. Anyone know where Mike Miller got the hair bands he wore on the court back when he had long hair? My hair is at the awkward length where it’s getting in my eyes when I drive. I need to find a way to get it out of my face. I dressed up as Mike for Halloween 2013, complete with 13 Grizzlies jersey and hair band, but it was clearly a women’s hair band. It was the best Walgreens could do on short notice.

Okay, something is seriously wrong with me. Yesterday, I had the entire day to myself… no responsibilities, no worries. And yet I probably spent an hour on my phone looking at menus, planning where I’m going to have lunch in East Memphis/Germantown next week. I’ve developed an obsession with/addiction to lunch. Meals I’m looking at include

• The steak burger at Stoney River sounds incredible. Ground steak, Gruyere, caramelized onions, and Thousand Island dressing. Throw it down!
• The world famous chili burger at Neil’s Music Room is on my radar for nostalgia reasons. I used to live around the corner from Neil’s when it was in Midtown.
• Any other unexpectedly good burgers hiding on a menu in East Memphis or Germantown? Let me know. paul@paulryburn.com
• I want to get one of the lunch specials at Formosa. Dah Chine Chicken probably because that’s one not commonly seen on Chinese menus here.
• The Farmer’s Skillet at City East Bagel and Grille sounds like something I need to try. Sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers. The corned beef skillet sounds good too, as does potato skillet #2 with salami and the option to add bacon (which, of course I would). Bonus points for being walkable from where I work.
• Already planning my next pizza at PizzaRev. Trying to figure out if they’d think I’m weird if I asked for one anchovy on my otherwise topping-filled pizza. I’m trying to figure out if I like anchovies. Haven’t had one since I was 7.

They always ask me if I want a lot of cheese or just a little on my pizza at PizzaRev. There’s a word for people who only want a little cheese on their pizza. It’s 6 letters long, starts with s, and rhymes with “cupid.” I mean, what’s the point? Go eat a saltine cracker if you don’t like cheese.

Also, if you’ve never had alfredo sauce as your base for a pizza as opposed to tomato sauce, DO IT. It will change your life.

A friend of mine has a cat named Alfredo Sauce.

I stayed out til 3 at the Blind Bear last night and heard KaleidoWorld, a subset of FreeWorld. They were excellent. Fun fact: As far as I know, Richard from FreeWorld and I are the only two people to sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at the Blind Bear. Richard was accompanied by guitar and drums. I was accompanied by Fireball.

No it was not a recent performance.

Okay, let’s get on to the news now.

The former Happy Day dry cleaners in the Shrine Building on Monroe, with the entrance directly across from Bardog, has reopened as Downtown Dry Cleaners.

The Redbirds are offering a special Mother’s Day ticket for Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13. $35 Dugout, $39 Club Level gets you a Mother’s Day brunch in the Home Plate Club noon-1:30 that day and families can also play catch on the field during that time. Prarie Farms ice cream treat for kids 12 and under, and kids run the bases after the game. Your specialty ticket includes a voucher for a large Papa John’s pizza so Mom won’t have to cook dinner that night.

Don’t forget that there’s a free Tai Chi class in Health Sciences Park tomorrow at 11:45. Milan Vigil from Downtown Yoga will teach the class and it is suitable for all levels, even newcomers. TAI CHI!

Disappointed in my fellow liberals who tweeted “Her son stole an election”-type stuff about Barbara Bush’s funeral yesterday. Grow up and get some class.

Checking the weather… if the rain lets up I will head to Pontotoc Lounge for Sunday brunch with B-RAD and Jazz… if not, I’ll keep it close to home at Blind Bear.

I’m looking forward to driving to Germantown for lunch, AND I’m looking forward to seeing Jasmine today? I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE!

Back tomorrow with more news.

The last “normal” weekend, at least for me, for over a month has begun. Looking ahead:

• Next weekend the BBQ team competes in Southaven Springfest, so I will probably be in Mississippi on Saturday (assuming the weather cooperates). Sunday is Downtown’s annual day of debauchery, Beale Street Wine Race.
• The weekend after that is Music Fest. I have no plans to attend the festival, but it’s the best people-watching of the year on Downtown streets.
• The weekend after that is BBQ Fest load-in.
• And of course, the weekend after that is BBQ Fest itself.

Despite being a normal weekend, there’s plenty going on. Let’s have a look.

The 15th annual Regatta and Duck Race happens today at Maria Montessori School on Mud Island. A Duck Race 5K and 1-Mile Family Fun Run kick things off, followed by games, grilled food, a desert contest, kayaking, and a trophy ceremony. The Wacky Boat Race (featuring boats made out of cardboard) and the Duck Race will happen in the afternoon, followed by live music.

The Memphis Flyer’s Bacon and Bourbon Festival is 4-8 today at the Farmers Market pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson. Ticket price includes 15 bourbon tastings as well as pork dish samplings from local restaurants. Proceeds benefit the Farmers Market.

The Ol’ Man River Half-Marathon and 8K happens tomorrow, starting and ending on Mud Island.

Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah comes to the Orpheum today and tomorrow. Legendary solosits and pianists, a symphony orchestra, a jazz ensemble and a choir will perform this lively reinvention of Handel’s Messiah.

Golfers: Support the Memphis Union Mission by playing in the Mission’s 13th annual Heritage Golf Classic at Memphis National Golf Club on Friday, May 11. Registration and lunch at 11:30, with the first teams teeing off at 1. There will be a $5000 putting contest, a hole-in-one contest to win a Volvo, and plenty of prizes.

Brit Floyd, the ultimate Pink Floyd tribute show, comes to the Orpheum on June 22. They will perform a special 45th anniversary retrospective of The Dark Side of the Moon, as well as hits from Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, and The Division Bell. Their stage set is said to be magnificent. I wonder if they have the anatomically correct inflatable pig?

High Ground News has a list of 10 Downtown buildings with stories to tell. Interesting read.

Yesterday for lunch, I returned to Noodles Asian Bistro at Poplar and Exeter. I thought about posting “Getting some noods!” to Facebook, but I decided that might not be the best idea. Tony who hangs out at B-RAD’s bar at Pontotoc Lounge would see that and comment, “You’re taking some nudes? Pau Pau, let me send you my Snapchat username!”

So anyway, each day of the week, Noodles has two specials priced at $8.50. One is a traditional favorite served with either white or brown rice. The other is a noodle dish. Whichever you choose, your entree comes with a side salad with ginger dressing and a spring roll.

I choose the noodle dish of the day, the Singapore Street Noodles with chicken.

For any entree with a pepper next to its name on the menu, you get your choice of mild, medium or hot. I asked for hot, and for the second time in two visits, the dish came out with the perfect amount of heat for a person who likes spicy food. At this point, the only dish on the menu I would be afraid to order hot would be the Vietnamese noodle soup (pho).

Singapore Street Noodles consists of rice noodles, wok-tossed with spices, chicken (beef, shrimp and tofu also available although not on special), carrots, snow peas, onions, scallions, bean sprouts and cilantro in a curry coconut sauce. They’re not skimpy with the portions either. Noodles has become one of my favorite lunch spots near work, although I have been told I should try Asian Eatery next door to West St. Diner soon too.

I want this THUG LIFE T-shirt.

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

Tonight is Memphis Symphony POPS! Tribute to Prince at the Cannon Center at 7:30 PM. Backed by a full rock band, the orchestra will present a symphonic tribute, Hits performed will include “Purple Rain,” “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” and more.

What about “Pussy Control?” You guys gonna do that song?

Governor Haslam has signed the bill into law allowing liquor stores to sell liquor and wine on Sundays, and they can start as soon as this weekend. The sale of wine in grocery stores on Sundays will be legal as of January 1.

Games on Front returns to the courtyard of Cossitt Library, corner of Front and Monroe, 4:30 to 7 PM today. Juju Bushman will supply the live music for this free evening of fun and yard games.

Songwriter Night returns to South Main Sounds at 550 S. Main this evening from 7 to 9. Performers will include Katie Williams, Justin Bloss, Olivia Linam & Terry Harris, and Rev. Neil Down.

Dig In is the theme at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. Dig in to Earth’s treasures to celebrate Earth Day this weekend. Kids can celebrate Earth Day from 8 to noon by making a biodegradable pot, filling it with dirt, and planting some seeds. Church Health will be there 8 to noon with solutions for quitting smoking. Live, local music 8 to 12:30. The Market runs every Saturday under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson 8 AM to 1 PM.

There will be a chicken parade to kick off the Southern Hot Wing Festival at Tiger Lane tomorrow. Seven hens and a rooster will march to the music of the Memphis Second Line Band, along with belly dancers, beauty pageant winners, and a horse carriage carrying 2017 Wing Fest winners New Wing Order. You just can’t make this stuff up.

Demitrie Phillips has taken over as chef at Brass Door, taking the reins from Patrick Reilly who has been the chef the past six months. Demitrie has crafted Downtown menus before including Bardog and Cafe Keough.

New event at Pontotoc Lounge 4-8 PM every Sunday starting April 29: Ragtime Tea Party. DJ Mark Richens will spin ragtime, swing, gypsy jazz, vocals, bebop, mambo and more. Mark is the former entertainment editor at the Commercial Appeal and a veteran DJ who has worked some of Downtown’s swankiest lounges.

Felicia Suzanne Restaurant is having a job fair today and tomorrow, looking to hire professionals for both front of house and back of house positions, as well as patio bartenders and servers. They encourage those looking for long-term growth in their career to stop by between 2 and 5 PM.

Some members of the Tennessee Air National Guard are in big trouble after a video of a re-enlistment ceremony went viral. One person participating in the ceremony, a master sergeant, wore a dinosaur puppet on her arm during the ceremony for reasons that remain unknown. Military leaders are furious that the people involved took liberties with a cherished, honorable, and somber occasion. Those in/shooting the video have been disciplined, and in one case demoted and retired.

A PAC called Mad Dog PAC, founded by Twitter legend Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated), is targeting politicians around the country who support Trump. One of the billboards targets the Tennessee Senate race: Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

Marsha Marsha Marsha! pic.twitter.com/mJTDDdj7kv

— Claude Taylor (@TrueFactsStated) April 19, 2018

And now it’s time for…

What I had for lunch in Germantown yesterday

featuring places within a 10-minute drive from where I work. This is going to be somewhat of a conflicted review.

On one hand, when I went to Facebook and asked for recommendations where I should eat, this place’s name came up over and over again. Clearly quite a few of my friends love it.

On the other hand, we all have that one friend who hates everything. I know I do. “I hate this place because it’s too dark.” “I hate this place because the bar stools aren’t comfortable.” “I hate that place because the music’s too loud.” I once took an Uber ride from Midtown with the friend to whom I am referring, and she spent the entire ride telling me how much she hates my troll. I would never want to take her where I had lunch yesterday because she would spend an entire hour telling me how much she hates it.

Rise Biscuits & Donuts opened last month at the corner of Poplar Avenue and West Street, half a block on the other side of the street from West St. Diner which I have talked about numerous times. As I said, friends raved about the place, but I thought it was a breakfast place. “It’s hard enough for me to get out east before 8,” I reasoned. “I certainly don’t have time to get out there even earlier and pick up breakfast.”

However, yesterday I noticed that Rise stays open until 2 PM, and that some of its offerings seem more like lunch. Besides, what’s wrong with breakfast for lunch anyway? I first had my eye on the Savory Buffalo chicken biscuit with shaved celery and blue cheese sauce, but having already had Buffalo wings earlier in the week, I wanted a different flavor. Then I noticed the Saucy Wisconsin biscuit with creamy cheese and sweet piquant peppers. That reminded me of the Green Bay Packers. “I’ll get that,” I thought. “I’ll see if it’s good enough to recommend to my friend Carl from Wis-CAHN-sin.”

I walked in and was pleased to only be the second person in line, in a place I’ve heard stays constantly busy. I ordered the Wisconsin biscuit, a side of “hashpuppies,” described on the menu as their take on tots with cheese, and a coke, for dine-in. I paid $10.37 and glanced around the corner where people were eating on a counter. It was nearly full. “Guess there’s more seating in the back. I’ll go back there,” I thought.

WRONG!

That was IT for the indoor seating! They had a large patio, but it was 49 degrees out. 8 of the 10 stools at the counter were occupied. I quickly threw my jacket on one of the two remaining stools before taking my cup to the soda machine. Good news: By the time I had walked my full cup back to my jacket, they called out “Paul!” and my food was ready. It was in a paper bag even though I had ordered dine-in. Rise really is much more of a to-go place, I was starting to realize by that point.

Also good news: My biscuit was enormous. I described it to a friend last night as “about the size of a Quarter Pounder, but even meatier.”

(Edit: Argh! My biscuit picture isn’t showing up. I’ll fix it later.)

It was dripping with cheese sauce and the piquant peppers really added zest to the biscuit sandwich. It was well-tenderized and made with top-quality chicken. A pleasure to eat, for sure.

Then there was the fact that I paid over $10 for that sandwich, four tots, and a Coke. The tots – er, hashpuppies – were certainly larger than average, and I guess people ooh and ahh over them because they’re cheese tots. But I paid $1.75 for four of them? That did not impress, especially considering that I’ve had Rocket Tots from the Flying Saucer many times so cheese in tots is not a novelty for me. They were quite good, though – one thing I want to make clear here is that absolutely none of my objections had anything to do with the taste of the food I ordered.

I grabbed some extra napkins – you see the photo of the biscuit, so you understand why – and elbowed enough room to eat my food. It was a cramped dining experience to say the least. Barely enough room to have my phone on the counter and surf Facebook while I ate. I was afraid I’d drop it. A family came in and politely asked if I’d move over one so they could sit together. They didn’t realize there was so little inside seating, either. This is definitely not a place to plan a group outing unless it’s patio weather.

Final verdict: Food was excellent and I recommend it, but if you plan on dining in, have a backup plan. The next time I go to Rise I’m going to have to accept it that there’s a 50/50 shot I will be taking my lunch back to my office break room. I wish they would glass in that very nice outdoor patio during chilly times, as many restaurants with great patios (Slider Inn for one example) have done.

By the way, I checked in to Rise on Facebook yesterday and it led to a friend discovering their catering menu. He ordered their Mega Bites package for his office’s breakfast this morning. For $49.95 you get 24 biscuit sandwiches – 8 country ham, 8 sausage, 8 pimiento cheese. You also get 24 donuts – 8 plain glazed, 8 sprinkles, 8 chocolate icing. Not a bad deal!

NOTE: Rise on Poplar out in Germantown is in no way affiliated with Sunrise Memphis on Jefferson in the Downtown/Medical Center area.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news. Once again, got several things in the queue already.

Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group acquired the Madison Hotel and related properties on the southwest corner of Main and Madison last year. In doing so, they declined to honor a longtime agreement for Christopher Reyes and his young family to purchase the condo on the second floor of 1 S. Main, a space he had occupied for 25 years. Aparium lawyered up and not only obtained a court order for the family’s eviction, but a judgment of about $102,000, part of which is for upgrades for a space the family no longer occupies. Reyes and his partner Sarah Fleming are both artists who make the community more vibrant, and they have been longtime supporters of Downtown and music and the arts here in Memphis. Please take a moment to sign this Change.org petition asking Aparium to do right by these wonderful people.

Aparium: If you find this blog, please know that I will not promote any events in spaces you own/manage unless you do the right thing. This blog is a go-to source for many people who live, work and play in Downtown Memphis, and it’s a shame they will no longer be learning about your events here.

The Memphis Flyer has the info on the return of legendary Downtown bar Sleep Out Louie’s, not in its original location but on Second next to Texas de Brazil in the former Encore space. Wanting a place for the ServiceMaster folks to go (it will have a back door that connects directly) with a decent price point and quick serving times, landlord Belz talked River City Management into bringing back the Sleep Out’s concept. The ties will be back and the weekend brunch will eventually. No fish races though. The new menu will be smaller and more modern, including a Pabst Blue Reuben. Now that sounds like a sandwich I’ve got to try!

Oh, and they’re going to have prosecco on tap. Not that I’ll be drinking the stuff but it drew a lot of positive comments from my female friends when I posted the Flyer story to Facebook yesterday.

Star & Micey headline the Peabody rooftop party tonight. $15 to enter, $30 VIP with ladies and hotel guests free until 7. Your admission includes a buffet of pizza rolls and mini-corn dogs with mustard. If you’re in VIP you have a second buffet of gourmet pizzas, hamburger sliders, and onion dip with crostini.

Goner Records, Dogfish Head brewery, and the Flying Saucer will celebrate National Record Store Day Saturday at the Saucer. There will be special tappings and new releases of Dogfish Head beer. Bring in Goner Records receipts to receive Dogfish Head discounts and chances to win a Dogfish Head record player.

Volunteer Ruth Martin will lead a tree tour of Elmwood Cemetery on Saturday, May 5. Elmwood has 1500 trees, some older than the cemetery itself. Some of the trees are tagged, but there is so much more to know than just the tree’s scientific and common name. This is a walking tour beginning at 10:30 AM and the cost is $10.

The Memphis Daily News has an excellent article called Doubleheader about AutoZone Park, which will soon be the home to both professional baseball and professional soccer. Craig Unger will be GM of both ventures and is excited about the challenge of building a soccer culture in this city.

In other soccer news, the Brass Door and the American Outlaws Memphis are helping Memphis soccer great Ross Paulie raise money for the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They will be raffling off a US Men’s National Team jersey signed by Tim Howard. Tickets are $5 each. Get ’em at the Door or PayPal MemphisOurlaws@gmail.com.

Ghost River has new hours for its taproom: 4:00-10:30 Wednesday-Thursday, noon-11:00 Friday-Saturday, noon-8:00 Sunday.

I returned to West St. Diner yesterday for lunch, for one of their daily specials, fried chicken livers.

Delicious. I chose mashed potatoes and blackeyed peas as my sides, spicing up the peas with a little chili pepper hot sauce.

Thanks to my readers who responded with suggestions for a bakery to go to in Far East Memphis/Near West Germantown to get a pie for Pie Wednesday at work. I have a plan put together. I have co-workers who read this blog so I don’t want to spoil the surprise of what kind of pie they’re getting, but I’ll post a photo on May 3, the day after.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more. I’ve already got some good stuff in the queue that didn’t fit into today’s post.

RiverArtsFest is getting a new location this year. The largest juried arts festival in the region is moving to Riverside Drive between Jefferson and Union. A big part of the reason is that the closure of Main south of G.E. Patterson for a year for Central Station construction denies the festival the footprint it needs in South Main. I’m definitely not going to mind RiverArtsFest being steps away from me in the core. I plan to be there! The festival will be Saturday and Sunday, October 27-28.

The Majestic Grille’s Supper Club is back with a Spring Dinner on Wednesday, May 2 at 6 PM. Chef Patrick is planning a menu of delicate veggies, flaky buttery fish, and spring lamb. Five-course dinner perfectly paired with wine and spirits. $75 plus tax and gratuity. Call 901-522-8555 to book your reservation for the dinner.

Friends for Life is a wonderful organization that supports those with HIV/AIDS and their caretakers. Next week you can Dine Out For Life to support FFL. Here’s the schedule. Participating Downtown restaurants include Civil Pour, Pontotoc Lounge, Silly Goose, Green Beetle, Mollie Fontaine Lounge, and McEwen’s.

Memphis in May has announced the music lineup, the food vendors, and the craftspeople and artists for 901 Fest, the Memphis-themed celebration that wraps up the month of May in Tom Lee Park.

There will be a Memphis Made meet and drink tonight at Food Truck Night at Miss Cordelia’s/Cordelia’s Table from 5 to 8 PM. Stanley’s Sweet Street Treat food truck will be there, as will desserts from Memphis Twist. There will be a Memphis Made beer and cheese pairing and Andy, co-founder of the brewery, will be on hand to answer any beer questions you may have.

I saw a post on Facebook implying that trolleys would be coming back to The Edge on April 30. That is not accurate. Only the Main Street line will open at the end of this month. The Riverfront line will open in early 2019, and the Madison line – stretching from the Downtown core to The Edge to the Medical District – will return late 2019 or early 2020.

RIP Barbara Bush, a lady who was the epitome of class and grace and who spent her life in service of others.

I went back to Exlines’ yesterday for lunch. I had my eye on their Ultimate Tamales on their online menu, but it looks like they don’t carry them anymore, at least not at the Quince and Kirby location. So I changed it up and went with six of Uncle Walt’s wings with hot sauce and a side of fries.

(…Aaaand I’m getting an HTTP error when I try to upload the photos. Just imagine a picture of wings and a picture of fries in this space.)

 

Wings were big and meaty, hot sauce was good, and they brought me a big cup of ranch for dipping. I appreciate places that give you enough dip to accommodate all your wings, rather than giving you a tiny cup that runs out after the second or third one. The steak fries were well seasoned and I dipped those in ranch as well. (For those who don’t know this about me, I much prefer ranch over ketchup with fries.) The wings were $5.25 for six big ones, an excellent value.

Question for my readers: Two weeks from today, I have to buy a pie for Pie Wednesday in our department here at work. Where, within a 10 minute drive of Poplar and Kirby Parkway sells whole pies? I know the bakery at Bougie Kroger across the street does, but where else? Email me at paul@paulryburn.com if you know of a place.

Yesterday I turned on 92.9 on the way home. The first thing I heard was Gary Parrish say that Geoff Calkins recommends not putting Nashville hot chicken near your butt. I turned the radio off after that.

There’s a speed trap that often operates on north-bound Kirby a couple of blocks before Humphreys. The speed limit is 35 on that stretch and people accelerate to try and make the green light. Shelby County deputies lay in wait two streets before Humphreys, at the intersection of Massey Lane. Yesterday a deputy stepped out into the road and signaled three cars in the right lane and one in the left lane to turn onto Massey Lane where another deputy was waiting. Glad I was far enough back to not get pulled over. The cars were doing probably about 42, so the deputies don’t give much leeway. Watch out if you travel on that stretch of road.

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

A few weeks ago, I commented that the building at 64 S. Main, just north of City Market, appeared to be getting a cleaning-out in preparation for an upcoming renovation. The Memphis Flyer has details on what will be going in there: A one-stop shop for people contributing to Memphis’ growth, as the proprietors put it. It will contain a restaurant serving healthy food and a boutique health and wellness center including a nutritionist, physiologist, certified dietitian, gym, classes and other services. A restaurant in the penthouse of the building serving contemporary Southern food will open within a year. There will be art shows and pop-up dinners as well. The first “Gallery” art show and dinner will happen Saturday, April 28.

The trolleys are finally coming back, just in time for Music Fest. The Main Street line will resume passenger operations on Monday, April 30, immediately following a ribbon-cutting/grand re-opening type of ceremony at 11 AM. The other two routes, Riverside and Madison, are expected back (in that order) in 2019 or early 2020. There will be free trolley rides the first two weeks they are back in service on the Main Street line.

I don’t know if I have any readers who are big fans of mac & cheese, but if I do, you’ll want to buy a special ticket to the Thursday, April 26 Redbirds game. The ticket includes an all-you-can-eat mac & cheese bar as well as all-you-can-eat hot dogs from 6 to 8 PM. Bacon bits, diced chicken and ham will be available to add protein to your mac & cheese. For those of you who love mac & cheese and who are vegetarians, the bar will also have broccoli, green onions, mushrooms, pico de gallo, jalapenos, blue cheese, shredded cheese, and various sauces. $2 beers at select locations throughout the park, and on Thursdays the Redbirds don their throwback Memphis Chicks uniforms.

I’ve been trying to keep up with the Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Sean Hannity, etc. situation as best I can, but a lot of good stories are from newspaper websites behind paywalls. Thanks to a web developer trick I’ve figured out how to get around them, and thought I’d share. You have to use the Google Chrome web browser to do this. When you see a link that is behind a paywall, right-click it and select “Open in incognito window.” This is a feature built into Chrome for those who want to browse with privacy, but it has a couple of nice side effects as well. For web developers, it’s useful for emulating a new user, who does not have any kind of browsing history, cookies, or user sessions. This leads to another useful side effect – websites with paywalls can’t tell you’ve been there before.

In a previous post, I mentioned that Meddlesome Brewing Co. is rolling out Jerry “The King” Lager. However, you don’t have to go to their taproom far out east to get this new beer. Not surprisingly, Jerry “The King” Lawler’s bar and grill on Beale carries his namesake lager. In a new Rassle Me post by Kevin Cerrito of the Memphis Flyer, Lawler discusses how he never touches alcohol, even if it is named after him. Brings to mind the tacky 1996 angle when Jake “The Snake” Roberts tried to pour booze down Lawler’s throat.

Africa in April is back this weekend. The event is held on Beale Street and Robert Church Park (just east of Fourth on Beale) with African food, exhibitors’ booths, health and wellness stations, performing arts, fashions, culture and history. Things kick off on Wednesday with an International Entrepreneur’s Day, followed by Children’s and Seniors’ Day on Friday, Family Heath Wellness & Community Day on Saturday, and International African-American Music Day on Sunday. $5 admission.

Michael from one901 writes about his experience judging the gumbo contest at Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest this past Sunday.

Terri Lee Freeman, president of the National Civil Rights Museum, will reflect on MLK50 at the Tuesday, April 24 Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting at the museum. 6 PM social, 6:30 program. This event is free for members and $10 for guests.

Yesterday I tried another new place for lunch, One & Only BBQ across Kirby Parkway from where I work. The smoked wings had been recommended to me by a friend, but I decided to save that for next visit and ordered the kielbasa dinner instead.

Generous-size helping of kielbasa, smoked and dusted in their dry rub, along with two sides and Texas toast. I got BBQ baked beans and deviled eggs for my sides, although I have heard good things about the twice-baked potato salad and want to try that next time. Service was quick and the people there were very nice. I look forward to trying the wings soon. As close as we’re getting to BBQ Fest, I will hold off on ordering pulled pork for a while. There’s plenty of that in my future already.

That’ll do it for now. Back tomorrow with more.

I led off at Pontotoc Lounge for D-RANKS with B-RAD at Sunday brunch yesterday. It was good to see the folks from City Tasting Tours leading a tour there. If you’re a foodie, the tours are a great way to discover the cuisines of Memphis. The tours make several stops, with a different small plate at each stop. They were headed to Rizzo’s after they got done at Pontotoc, an excellent choice as well.

I didn’t eat at Pontotoc, but the people next to me had the bagels and lox and it looked fantastic. You get a whole bagel with smoked salmon with capers, onions, tomatoes and cream cheese.

After Pontotoc, I stopped by Blind Bear, then over to the Majestic Grille to eat. There are very few menu items at the Majestic I have not tried, but yesterday I found one… the sausage and cheese plate. It’s a chef’s selection of meats & cheeses along with Dijon, crackers, apple slices, BBQ walnuts and cranberries.

The BBQ walnuts are the star of this show. All delicious. Nice to be able to discover something new at a restaurant I’ve been frequenting for 12 years. It’s kind of like finding money in my coat pockets.

The Commercial Appeal has a photo album of last Saturday’s Memphis Brewfest.

The Memphis Medical District Collaborative will have its annual meetup at the Balinese Ballroom, 330 N. Main, on Wednesday, April 25 6-8 PM. They will look back at successes of the past year and forward toward plans for the future, and you’ll get to meet the people who have made the Medical District a more vibrant place. Get free tickets to the meetup here.

If you work near a Hardee’s, they’ll be giving away free sausage biscuits (one per person) tomorrow, Tuesday, April 17 from 7 to 10 AM.

Excellent, excellent decision by the Memphis Flyer: They are adding a regular feature called Rassle Me in which Kevin Cerrito will cover professional wrestling.

Sad to hear about the declining health of Barbara Bush. What a grand lady.

That’ll do it for now. I haven’t been to Brittini’s bar at Silly Goose in a couple of weeks, so I think I’ll do that for happy hour after work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Sometimes you have to break the rules.

Officially my rule is “No more Fireball, ever” and I have held to that since January. However, I try to enforce a rule of “no shots of any kind, anymore” upon myself for good physical as well as financial health.

However, yesterday at Bardog, Panda had her first drink since August, her first since having the baby. I couldn’t pass that round of shots up. I had a Jameson. Welcome back, Panda!

Ashley, Panda and me

I was also celebrating because I helped work out an arrangement to ensure we’ll have great music in our BBQ team booth again this year. The music coming out of your booth that is heard from the sidewalk is part of your team’s brand. I was worried someone would plug their phone into the PA at 10:20 Friday night and start blaring “LAWD I WAS BAWN A RAMBLIN’ MAYUN… MAYUN…” and people would get the idea that we’re all in there wearing Confederate flag T-shirts with the sleeves cut off drinking Busch beer. Happy to have one less thing to worry about.

My troll made another new friend yesterday.

Pink Bunny was a gift from a 3-year-old to her father, a computer programmer with a traveling job. She asked that he take pictures of Pink Bunny at the places he goes. The daughter is now 14 and Pink Bunny has been to 47 states and 9 countries.

I may have given up Fireball but Pink Bunny sure hasn’t.

Great crowd at Bardog yesterday and I stayed until almost past 2:30, well past my usual time. By then, and in part thanks to the shot, I was getting super hungry. Inspired by my recent lunch adventures in Germantown, I was determined to try something new and different, and I did. But this was not a lunch in Germantown. It was Downtown. Which means it’s time for the most recent installment of…

The Perjorie T. Roll Lunch Series

Regina’s Cajun Kitchen opened several months ago at 60 S. Main in the ground floor of the Lincoln-American Tower, in the space that years ago was the Yellow Rose Cafe. They opened their bar yesterday, and I decided to have a seat and order lunch. After looking over their breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, I decided to have their Saturday special, the Cajun seafood pasta.

Shrimp, crawfish, sausage, and either penne or ziti (I don’t know my pastas that well) in a cheese sauce spiked with hot sauce. As a fan of spicy food, I appreciated the flavor of this dish. I also appreciated the piece of bread which was buttery and perfect for dipping in the extra sauce. No problem recommending this to my readers.

The bartender was very attentive. Great service. They gave me complimentary popcorn while I waited on my food. Regina’s is a large space that can comfortably fit well over 100. I don’t know if they rent the place out for private events but they easily could. It’s a space with a lot of potential. Even though I had a Coke with lunch, I am glad they opened the bar. When I eat by myself I prefer to sit at bars/counters.

I do want to mention a couple of very minor things, things that didn’t detract from the quality of the meal, but style points. I don’t understand why they put a cafeteria tray under my plate when they served my food. It’s not like my pasta was going to fall off the plate, or I was going to pick up my food and move to another part of the restaurant. Also, food of this quality should not be served with plasticware. It was deluxe plasticware, but still plasticware. Again, these things didn’t bother me but I can see then subtracting a couple of dollars from the perceived value of the meal in some diners’ eyes.

Regina’s menu can be found here. I want to come back and try an entree sometime soon. Those meatballs stuffed with cheese, spinach and shrimp sound interesting.

I wonder if they make a vegetarian version of that pasta? Asking for a friend…

A bunch of us got to spend the evening with this beautiful woman:

We started off at Bardog then went to the Silly Goose and Blind Bear. Quote of the night: “We need more nautical bars Downtown” -Buddha

This is Memphis and sooner or later somebody had to do it. Meddlesome Brewing Co. celebrates the release of Jerry “The King” Lager on Wednesday, April 18. This fusion of pilsner and pale ale comes off the top rope and delivers a piledriver of taste. It is 6.2% ABV, made with Mosaic hops and German pilsner and aromatic malts. The King (who ironically, doesn’t drink alcohol) will be there for the release of his namesake beer, and there will be wrestling trivia and wrestling games.

This coming Saturday, April 21 is Hopped IV at Memphis Made Brewing Co. from noon to 10 PM. First 100 people get a special 16 oz. Hopped IV mug. The brewery will release its new Breakfast IPA, Snap Crackle Hopped, that day. Amy LaVere & Will Sexton, Hash Redactor, and River City Tanlines will provide the live music. Food by Sushi Jimmi, Smoke and Rolls, and MEMPopS.

On Mother’s Day, May 13 in Health Sciences Park, the Memphis Medical District Collaborative will show a Movie Under the Stars from 7:30 to 9:30. The movie will be Babies, a documentary chronicling the development of four babies from different parts of the world. There will be multiple food trucks and it is BYOB (bring your own blanket).

Best Donald Trump photo ever:

pic.twitter.com/ip4x3nuFMl

— Dan ‘One Fiddy’ Hamell (@Dan_Hamell) April 14, 2018

Monday afternoon is going to be a fun time to watch the news. 

Time to get this day started! D-RANKS with B-RAD at Pontotoc Lounge is first on the agenda today. I haven’t seen Brad in two weeks and we have much catching up to do. I will be back north at the Blind Bear sometime before 2. Back tomorrow with more news.

Next Friday, April 20 from 7:30-10:30 there will be a Hoedown for Hope at Propcellar, 2585 Summer Avenue. This will be a fun, casual event with Southern food, music by He Said She Said, beer, specialty drinks, dancing, a silent auction, and a mechanical bull. The proceeds from this event benefit Hope House, an organization that helps children affected by HIV and poverty.

It’s the first Fireworks Night of the year at the Redbirds. The fireworks are presented by Tennessee Lottery and are launched from center field. First 1500 fans in the ball park get a replica of the PCL Championship Trophy the Redbirds won last season. Opponent is Iowa with first pitch at 6:35 and gates opening 5:00.

Margie’s 901, the former Maggie Moo’s ice cream parlor on the Main Street Mall, is having a free giveaway on Tax Day, April 17. Free chocolate covered strawberry with purchase, while supplies last.

 

Memphis Tigers men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway signed Cordova High’s Tyler Harris yesterday. Along with East High’s Alex Lomax, Penny has now recruited the two top Memphis prospects, overcoming objections that they are both point guards. Tubby Smith wouldn’t have got either of these players. He wouldn’t even have tried. I am the most excited I have been about Memphis Tigers basketball in years. I definitely plan on going to some 2018-19 home games, and might even consider 2019-20 season tickets.

So Nuts and Confections will be the featured vendor for Small Shop Saturday 12-4 today at Ghost River.

Drafts and Laughs XXIV with the Comma Comedians happens tonight at 7:30 at Memphis Made. This is a free show.

Ham what am!

My Thursday lunch at West Street Diner was so good that I went back for their country ham, purple hull peas, and a tossed salad.

The salad came in a separate bowl and I figured, you all know what a salad looks like so there’s no point including it in the photo. This was quite possibly the best piece of ham I have ever had in my life! Too bad my mom is not around for me to take there – ham and purple hull peas are a meal she would have loved. She used to buy purple hull peas at the Little Rock farmers market, and she and I would sit at the dining room table and shell them. The ham is an every-day menu item, whereas the purple hull peas are daily specials on Mondays and Fridays. The server, realizing I am becoming a regular, introduced herself. “See you this weekend!” she said.

“No, you won’t!” I replied. I explained to her that I work in Germantown, but I live Downtown. “You might see me Monday, though,” I said.

Did my taxes this morning! I got a federal refund, but annoyingly, I owe the state of Mississippi $12. Even more annoyingly, I will have to file a Mississippi tax return next year because I worked there 9 days this year.

Catching up with a friend from out of town today. Probably will stay local and skip the crawfish fest in Midtown. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday the 13th! So far so good, and I hope it stays that way. I’ve been superstitious about Friday the 13th ever since a day in 2013 when my Saturn died coming off I-40 at Second Street, and it took months to find a competent mechanic who could diagnose the cause and get it working properly. I know at least one of my blog’s readers has been through a traumatic Friday the 13th in the past as well. Let’s hope today goes better than those.

By the way, I never told my readers what turned out to be wrong with the Saturn. A piece of carbon got sucked into the fuel line, shutting off fuel without which, of course, the car cannot run. This likely happened because I let the gas get down to 1/16 of a tank before filling up a few weeks before it happened. Since then I pull into a gas station every time my Jetta hits a quarter of a tank. Still loving the Jetta, by the way. I can’t thank my friends at Gossett VW/Porsche enough for getting me into it and out of the Saturn.

Games on Front returns to the courtyard outside the Cossitt Library, Front and Monroe, this afternoon from 4:30 to 7. Come out and enjoy free yard games and live music by a different artist every week, and this week it’s a good one: John Paul Keith. There will be beer and snacks as well.

The Redbirds host Iowa tonight at 7:05, with gates opening at 6. Block party in the Plaza before the game, with $2 beers. The Beale Street Flippers will perform before the game and at a break between innings. Don’t forget that it’s Free Stuff Friday with prizes every inning and one fan getting to roll giant dice for a chance at $10,000.

Chick-Fil-A has a Friday Family Pack Specialty Ticket. Purchase a minimum of four field box tickets at the link provided and also receive four free hot dogs, four free sodas, an extra large popcorn to share, and four Chick-Fil-A combo meal offer cards. It’s the specialty ticket that combines the joys of paying for Downtown parking and being 30th in line at Chick-Fil-A’s drive-thru.

The CA’s Jennifer Biggs has named brunch at Downtown restaurant Catherine and Mary’s a Best Bet.

The Memphis Daily News has an update on renovation in The Edge District of the former Wonder Bread building and other nearby buildings, as well as plans for a linear urban park. The hope is that the project will lead to a lot more people who work or go to school in The Edge living there too.

Mud Island River Park opens Wednesday. For the first time ever the park will allow dogs.

Kale, yeah! is the theme at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. Whether you’re into kale or vegetables that don’t taste like ass, the Farmers Market has you covered. The University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy will have a table at the market 8 AM to noon to discuss diabetes awareness and prevention. Also, the federally-recognized organ procurement organization of the Mid-South, the Mid-South Transplant Foundation, will have a table from 8 to noon. Live music by Bud Summers 8-9:15, Amy Andres 9:30-10:45, and Bashville 11-12:30. The Market happens every Saturday under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson from 8 AM to 1 PM.

The weekend before I started my new job, I made a post on Facebook, asking where is good to get lunch within a 10 minute drive of Poplar and Kirby Parkway. I got something like 60 comments, but one of the places that kept coming up over and over was West Street Diner, a diner much like Jerry Seinfeld might visit in New York, but instead located in the heart of Germantown. However, one friend told me that the place was small, parking was limited, and I’d probably want to get my food to go and take it back with me. I’m not much on eating lunch in office break rooms, so for several weeks I put West Street Diner on the back burner.

However, earlier this week I was flipping through Google Reviews and I saw some photos of the interior of the place. I saw it had a lunch counter with stools. So if I got there right at 11, I’d get one of the stools and not take up a 4-top in a small restaurant by my lonesome. Also, by getting there at 11 I wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of parking. So, yesterday I went out there. I had scoped out the menu online in advance, particularly taking note of their daily specials. I penciled in West Street Diner on the calendar for Thursday after noting that was turkey & dressing day.

I got a seat at the counter and was brought a menu. I placed my order, and my food was out in about 4 minutes. Makes sense; if it’s a small but popular restaurant you want to have the food ready quickly so the tables can turn as many times as possible.

Good, home-style turkey and dressing like you might have on Thanksgiving. I selected mashed potatoes and green beans from a list of about 14 vegetables and sides. Good-sized portions of everything, making me regret that I somewhat killed my appetite with a bag of Fritos earlier in the morning. I have to give the folks at West St. kudos on one small but important touch: they put the cranberry sauce in a plastic cup. I am not a big fan of cranberry sauce and don’t want it there on the plate, commingling with my dressing and gravy. The cup allowed me to put it aside and have it as a small dessert.

I read on Google Reviews that the place has a lot of regulars, and I met one of them sitting at the counter. The staff was very welcoming as well when I told them I had just started a job on Kirby Parkway and am exploring the Germantown lunch scene. My check was $13.15, $16.15 after tip. I don’t want a lunch tab that high every day, but I have to admit the food and service were worth what I paid. I plan on coming back Wednesdays when two of my favorites, meatloaf and chicken livers, are on the daily special. The country ham on the every day menu has caught my eye as well. West St. Diner is the latest place to earn top-tier status among my lunch spots.

As you can see, I’m still really enjoying my lunch spots out east, the people I meet while at lunch, my job and my co-workers. By the way I plan on doing a “how I’m doing these days” post in more depth sometime soon, maybe over the weekend. One thing I learned during my time off was that a lot of people followed my personal story and I even inspired a few people. That touches my heart and is a major reason I do this blog.

In other news about me, I had the good fortune to run into members of my second BBQ family twice in six days. I still do love you guys (even if I haven’t acted like it at times the past two years or so) and miss hanging out with you guys to the extent that we used to. I’ve never been mad at you guys; it’s just that there are some things you don’t know that I wish you did. I look forward to seeing all of you at BBQ Fest and I’m glad our booths are closer than they have been the past couple of years.

That’s it for now. Check back tomorrow when I’ll have news about a fundraiser for Hope House, probably another food photo and more news.