Paul Ryburn's Journal

This morning I walked by a soon-to-come restaurant called The Lighthouse in the ground floor of the Lincoln-American Tower. They had the menu posted in the window, so I took a pick (click to see in a larger size, should be readable at that resolution):

Also I noticed this morning that the donut shop at 8 S. Main now sells ice cream.

I saw this in a tweet and it seemed like something worth recommending: TrackR. It’s a quarter-sized device you can attach things you are prone to lose, and then find them with your phone. You can even put a TrackR on your dog’s collar to help find your dog if he or she goes missing

Bluff City Coffee will begin hiring kitchen and barista positions beginning August 1. Send resumes to david@bluffcitycoffee.com.

Scott Southworth is back at the Green Beetle Tuesday, July 26 from 6:30 to 8:30. He’ll be playing for MIFA’s Meals on Wheels program, with 100% of the tip jar and 50% of CD sales going to Meals on Wheels.

The Dirty Crow Inn has a jalapeño batter corn dog special this week.

Loflin Yard has announced their band lineup for this week. Southern Avenue plays tomorrow, The Maitre D’s Friday, Grassfire Saturday, and Tennessee Ripple Sunday.

Jerry Lawler’s Bar & Grill on Beale will have a special guest this weekend: Ol’ Banana Nose himself, Lance Russell! The man who was the co-announcer of Saturday morning Memphis wrestling for many years will make two appearances at The King’s place. Friday he will be there from 1 to 4 in the afternoon with Dave Brown, and Saturday he will have a Q&A session from 5 to 8 PM.

CBS Sports has a good article on Coach Fizdale’s plan for the next evolution in Grizzlies basketball.

Jessica is out of town but I will probably lead off at Silly Goose for happy hour anyway. That’s the news for now. Back later today or tomorrow.

For those of you who were planning to attend the Ghost River beer dinner tonight at Rizzo’s, Chef Michael Patrick announced this morning that the dinner will have to be rescheduled due to an electrical fire at the restaurant. Don’t worry, Chef, staff, and restaurant are okay and the dinner will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Happy 4th birthday to the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry. Have you wanted to help those in need but haven’t been sure how to get involved? If you have a bike, a backpack, and a giving spirit there’s a place for you with UBFM. The ministry rides the streets of Downtown and Midtown, stopping to ask “Are you hungry?” and for those who say “yes” they hand out nutritious burritos and other filling meals. In the spirit of Jesus they don’t judge the people they meet in any way; they simply offer to feed them.

I don’t know if I have any readers who live in The Edge District, but if I do, improvements are planned for your neighborhood. Monroe and Marshall Avenues will see the most improvements, with the installation of benches, trash receptacles, and landscaping. A patio area at the intersection of Monroe and Marshall will help offset the vast expanse of asphalt where these two streets intersect at an odd angle. The additions will make the neighborhood more inviting to tourists, and more walkable to both visitors and residents.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has announced that they will write tickets to those they catch playing Pokemon Go while driving. Last week a young woman was almost hit in Shelby Farms. Both driver and pedestrian were playing the game. Pokemon Go…as your XP go up, your IQ goes down.

Multiple Spanish sources report that Marc Gasol is going to pull out of the Rio Olympics, although his brother Pau will still play for Team Spain. It’s unclear whether this is because Marc is rehabbing his foot still, or because he understands what a trainwreck the Rip Olympics are going to be.

New Food truck: Surf Dogs fusion beach food. Follow the truck at @surfdogsmemphis on Twitter.

That’s it for this post. Maybe another later today before I head to Blind Bear happy hour.

Yesterday I decided to do something different for happy hour. I headed south to my “home away from home on the south side,” Max’s Sports Bar, where every Monday they have dollar PBR from 4:30 opening time to 7. My friend Bjarni (pronounced BEE-ar-nee) was bartending. “The other 165.5 hours of the week you’re Bjarni,” I told him. “But from 4:30 to 7 on Mondays, you’re PBjaRni.” PBjaRni seemed pleased with his new name.

If you don’t believe me when I say that the Memphis Farmers Market is one of the best farmers markets in the country, check out what Style Blueprint has to say. Beef jerky, goat cheese logs, cleaning products, breakfast and more. Of course, they have fresh produce too! I am a huge fan of the Market and go most every week. Check back here every Thursday or Friday (depending on when they send out the email) to learn what is going on at the Market that week. It’s every Saturday through mid-November at the pavilion at Front and GE Patterson, 7 AM to 1 PM.

This would be a huge change: The NCAA has discussed eliminating kickoffs in college football. I get the point, seeing as how kickoffs can be the most dangerous plays of the game. However, if you eliminate them, you take away onside kicks, the one chance a losing team has to recover the ball and keep the receiving team from running out the clock.

Bleu posted Chef Ana’s menu for Thursday’s wine dinner. It will feature wines of the Pacific Northwest. Call 901-334-5950 for reservations.

Lost Kings play the New Daisy Saturday, in the next edition of the DaisyLand series. $10-15 to get in, show starts at 10 PM.

99 Cent Soul Food Express has announced that they will have to shut down for a week due to a major gas leak in the kitchen. They hate to close for a little while but they want to get things right.

Check out the views from atop 100 N. Main. One901 is living life 430 feet in the air.

Want to skip the hype of the convention and find out what the REAL Donald Trump is like? Read this interview with the ghost-writer of Art of the Deal.

That’s the news for now. Time to figure out why my garage parking pass stopped working (yes I paid the bill on time) then off to work. Possibly a second post later today.

Quench is doing a wine tasting Friday evening 5-8 PM. It will be a tasting of a couple of California wines, one of which is a new bottling by a well-known country star. It will be an educational tasting and there is no charge.

The Flying Saucer will have Songwriters Night Thursday from 7:30 to 10:30. Hosted by Jeremiah Tucker and Leo Lazarus, this Thursday will feature performances by JB Whalen and JJ McLendon.

Miss Cordelia’s and Cordelia’s Table will host Food Truck Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:30 PM this Wednesday, July 20. There will be pint specials at Cordelia’s growler bar, and Sushi Jimmi will be there for your dining pleasure.

Grizzlies coach David Fizdale has confirmed that former Memphis Tiger D.J. Stephens will be invited to training camp this fall.

The Undefeated has an interview with Coach Fiz where he talks about what it was like growing up in L.A. in the era of Rodney King. This is pretty powerful stuff. I would definitely recommend you read.

There will be a Downtown safety meeting Thursday, July 21 at 6 PM at the Downtown Central BBQ. Special guests will include interim MPD Director Michael Rallings, Gary Cummings of the Shelby County Juvenile Court, and Harold Robbins of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.

The Salty Dogs running group will make a lap of the trolley tracks tonight. Free for the public to participate. Meet at Bardog Tavern at 7.

The new owners of a former bank building at 158 Madison want to make it a boutique hotel with 70 rooms. There would be a restaurant on the ground floor called Teller and a rooftop bar called Errors & Omissions. The building is between Second and Third on Madison, across the alley from the Brass Door.

The Republican convention kicks off in Cleveland today. Key speakers include the guy who played Chachi on Happy Days, Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty, and the laughingstock of my home state of Arkansas, Senator Tom Cotton. I wonder if there will be trapeze artists and elephants to go along with all these clowns.

If we must arm ourselves and shoot at each other, let’s do it for the right reasons: Florida man shoots at teens playing Pokemon Go.

Completely undecided what my happy hour will look like… Melissa Monday at Bardog is an option, as is Dollar PBR Happy Hour with Bjarni at Max’s Sports Bar, and then of course there’s always the Blind Bear. Max’s is the best value but the farthest walk. I’ll figure it out by 5. Back later today or tomorrow with more news.

As part of the renovations to turn the former Peabody Place Mall into headquarters for ServiceMaster, the skybridge connecting the building to the garage above the Flying Saucer across the street was removed yesterday. Cranes and trucks were out there for hours and hours taking it down.

The garage above the Saucer now has a gaping hole on the second floor:

Meanwhile, ServiceMaster HQ now has a set of doors that lead to nowhere:

They should keep those. Doors that lead to nowhere are a fitting symbol of corporate America.

Early voting has started for the August election cycle. Visit shelbyvote.com to learn where you can vote. I’ll say the same thing I have been saying for 20 years: Get goin’ vote Cohen!

I farmers marketed yesterday morning (hey I am not the first person to ever use that as a verb) and visited the market’s newest food truck, Monkey Train Grazing Co. I tried their award-winning Mac & Molé, pulled pork molé with their homemade white mac & cheese. Enough time has passed since BBQ Fest that I am once again ready to order pulled pork.

I would liken this dish to pepperoni pizza: A bit greasy, but it’s so good that you’re not going to let a little grease stop you from eating it. I don’t know if I have any readers who love mac & cheese, but if I do, you should try Monkey Train’s mac & cheese. Creamy and delicious.

Loflin Yard has added Memphis Sports Revolution trivia every Wednesday. There is definitely no shortage of trivia Downtown during the week.

Paulette’s has announced its Monday night dinner for this week. This is a 3-course dinner for $19.95 plus tax and tip. This week the entrees from which to choose are grilled amberjack or citrus brined pork tenderloin.

Does anyone have a biology textbook they’re not using anymore that they can drop off at the Blind Bear? Here’s why it’s needed: “If I was a mammal that lived in the ocean I would want to be a shark.” -Chicken Fried Steak Rodger

Zeke Johnson and a guest will play the Center for Southern Folklore this afternoon at 5. Zeke will teach you what the blues is all about, and as for the identity of the guest, the Center is keeping mum. $7 cover. If you’re from out of town or if you’re new to Memphis, the Center is one of the best places to discover the real music of the region. In particular, mark September 3 and 4 on your calendar; that is the weekend of the Center’s Memphis Music and Heritage Festival with dozens of bands on multiple stages.

Tennessee Ripple plays Loflin Yard at 4 today.

It’s almost time to go to my weekly Sunday school class at the Blind Bear. Sunday school teacher B-RAD has told us that the lesson this week will cover PBR and Fireball, and for some students, Jamison. I have lots to talk to B-RAD about this week: Whether Mary kept her pledge not to drink last night, interesting developments on Facebook in the past week, men who use “she’s got the cannons” as justification for pursuit of a woman, and an upcoming event that is such a bad idea that I refuse to blog about it. We will unfortunately be minus one of our regulars today, as Nappin’ Ass Nate left for Orlando this morning. Nevertheless, we will soldier on through a fun Sunday Fun Day. Back tomorrow with more news.

Folks, I am offering a special one-weekend-only deal. Today and tomorrow only – that’s Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17 – I am offering free smacks upside the head to anyone who says “Gotta catch ’em all” in my presence. That’s right, absolutely free, no strings attached. This deal won’t be around forever, so act now!

Ugh… I just thought of something. My first stop today, as usual on a Saturday, will be the Memphis Farmers Market. I’ve settled into a routine of going straight for the food trucks after I get there, buying a snack, and then sitting at a table or park bench on the main concourse and watching the world go by. What am I going to be watching this week? 14-year-olds (and adults with the maturity of 14-year-olds) running around with their phones out trying to catch Pokemon. (Yes I know there’s supposed to be an accent mark over the e, but I just don’t care.) Some idiot will probably run into a watermelon stand and knock it over because he’s not paying attention.

I heard there were people running around the Holocaust Museum in DC with their phones out trying to catch Pokemon. One said, “I don’t mean any disrespect, but gotta catch ’em all,” having absolutely no clue how out-of-line that was. I wonder if people will be running around the second floor of the Lorraine Motel this weekend with their phones.

Let’s get on to the news. Traffic note: Union will be closed starting Monday between Second and Front, and the closure will last approximately four days. Emergency sewer repair work is the reason. Local traffic will be allowed through.

Motel Mirrors play Loflin Yard tonight at 7.

Dr. Fresch provides the entertainment tonight in this week’s installment of the “Daisyland” series. Showtime is 10 PM.

Mayor Strickland has posted the list of candidates for Police Director returned by a national search firm. Yes, Interim Director Rallings is on the list.

The Church Health Center is hiring a Registered Nurse.

Huge congratulations to my friend, career coach Angela Copeland, on recently being quoted in a Forbes article on ways to pull off a successful career. If you find your career plans stuck in the mud, her career coaching can help you get back on track.

The Land Control Use Board refused a request for the demolition of a 101-year-old building at 238 Poplar to make way for a parking lot. The Guzman Building sits across from 201. Among those who petitioned against the parking lot was Terence Patterson who runs DMC.

Over in my home town of Little Rock, world leaders were forced to take refuge in a school basement when a tornado moved through. Participating in the real-life tornado drill were former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The University of North Texas really didn’t think through the design of their coffee mug.

Good luck to my friends from Porkosaurus who are competing in Boogie Down BBQ in the Bronx this weekend.

That’s it for now. Time to do a couple loads of laundry then off to the Farmers Market. Earnestine & Hazel’s and Bardog are also on my list of morning stops. Afternoon to be determined.

Legit sign. Not sure which bar this sign belongs to, but my respect for that bar just went up, wherever it is.

Is there an online dictionary where you can press a Play button to hear a word pronounced? Because if you go to the word “stupid” and press the button, I am pretty sure you will hear “Gotta catch ’em all.”

Mike Conley celebrated signing the richest contract in basketball history by donating $1 million to the Grizzlies Foundation. Class act, that guy. The Grizzlies ownership group will match the donation for a total of $2 million. The money will fund grants to non-profits that provide quality mentoring programs to inner-city youth.

High Cotton’s taproom will host its first-ever Comedy Night tomorrow, Saturday, July 16, from 7 to 9 PM. Doug Gillon will emcee an evening of free comedy by Richard Douglas Jones, Kate Lucas, and Benny Elbows.

Do you read a lot of magazines? There’s a deal going on right now where you can subscribe to a “read all the magazines you want for one monthly fee” service and get a free Kindle Fire to read them on. It sounds like this deal will end soon, so if you’re interested, better not delay checking it out.

Neat link I found this morning: Data.gov. The U.S. government has shared over 180,000 datasets to encourage “civic hacking.”

1959 movie North by Northwest plays the Halloran Centre tonight at 7 as part of the Orpheum’s summer classic movie series. Come early (doors open at 6) for a paper airplane game.

Idle & Wild play Loflin Yard tonight at 7.

Alabama Shakes play the Mud Island Amphitheater tonight at 8.

Mayor Strickland announced that the skybridge connecting Peabody Place to the parking garage across Second will be removed tomorrow, and therefore Second will be closed between 6 AM and 2 PM. 6 AM is the start time? I hope those of you who live in Van Vleet Flats aren’t planning on sleeping in.

Donald Trump has named his vice-presidential pick: Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Here are 8 things to know about Pence. Chris Christie is said to be so furious about the snub that he is refusing to pick up The Donald’s dry cleaning.

The final audition to be part of the 2016-17 Grizz GIrls will be at the Halloran Centre at 5 PM Sunday, July 17 and it will be free for the public to watch. 25 hopefuls will try to make the squad. The Claw Crew will be on hand and there will be a performance by the always-excellent Grizzlies Grannies and Grandpas.

That’s all for this post. Undecided where to happy hour as of yet, Friday being wild card day for me.

Three weeks ago, the Silly Goose started opening for lunch and serving lunch 11 AM to 3 PM. They have six sandwiches to choose from: Club, Italian, Grilled Cheese Platter, Stuffed Portobello, Silly Philly, and Pastrami. Normally the sandwiches are $9 each. However, on Fridays they slash the price to $5. So, if you’ve been thinking about trying one, today would be a good day!

Back at lunchtime with more news probably.

Hot! Hot! Hot! is the theme at the Memphis Farmers Market Saturday. Actually, it seems to be the theme every Saturday, seeing as how lots of hot women come there to shop for fresh produce. The UT Extension of Agriculture will conduct demos at 10, 10:30, and 11, where you will learn how to make a Tri-Pepper Salad. From 10 to noon, kids can participate in a craft shop sponsored by Dixon Gallery and Gardens, where they can learn how to make their own paper popsicles. Live music by Kris Acklen 8:30 to 10 and Adam Levin 11 to 12:30. Streetdog Foundation will be there from 8 to noon for adoption. The Farmers Market happens under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM.

The Market’s vendor chitchat this week is with Rebecca Bruewer from Farm House Barkery. Did you know you can buy dog treats at the Farmers Market? You can. Unfortunately the story has a sad start – Bruewer’s dog died six years ago due to kidney complications from a bad dog treat. She decided her dogs would never eat store-bought treats again, and started producing her own. Can’t make it to the Market on Saturdays? You can buy her treats Downtown at Life is Good.

Happy Bastille Day everyone, YOGA! I have news of not one, but two, upcoming yoga events. First of all, MyHQ Sunset Yoga #4 will happen at Front and Jefferson in Memphis Park starting at 6:30 PM Wednesday, July 20. This is a free session led by Jocelyn from Downtown Yoga, followed by a free wine tasting. Bring a picnic basket to go along with your wine if you want. Follow @DowntownMemphis for weather updates in case of weather cancellation of this outdoor event. Bring your own mat if you have one, but extras will be available.

On Tuesday, July 26 at 6:45 PM, Downtown Yoga will present Candlelight Flow and Meditation at its studio on South Main. The website didn’t say, but I am assuming this is a paid event, not free. This will be a deeply grounding sunset practice surrounded by candlelight. The session will include breath work and grounding sequences, ending with a meditation. All skill levels are welcome.

Tootsie plays on the big screen tonight as part of the Orpheum’s summer classic movie series. Show time is at 7, but come early (doors open at 6) to take a quiz to see if you’re screen-ready to star in a soap. Drink specials and selfie station too. The classic movie series continues tomorrow afternoon at 2 with Muppet Treasure Island.

Hunting & Fishing Night with the Redbirds is coming up Friday, July 29. Purchase a special ticket and get a Redbirds camo cap. Buy tickets here.

A new 360 degree video and website have been unveiled for the Big River Crossing that will let you walk across the Harahan bridge to Arkansas beginning in October.

Grizzly Bear Blues makes the case that it’s time for D.J. Stephens to find a home in Memphis once again, this time as a member of the Grizzlies roster, following an awesome performance for the team in Summer League.

Pro wrestling fans: Cerrito Live will host Rikishi Saturday. Find out what the big ‘kish has been up to lately. The show is on 87.7 FM/560 AM Saturdays 11 AM-1 PM.

The Live Garden at Memphis Botanic Garden has announced Porktoberfest 2016, a regional BBQ cooking competition that will happen October 7-8. It will be a Memphis Barbecue Network event and there will be a kids’ area, food trucks, restaurants selling pork products, and more.

That’s it for now. Possibly a second post after work before I head out to happy hour at the Silly Goose.

Wiseacre Brewery out on Broad is hosting the next in their series of beer dinners Tuesday, July 9 from 7 to 9 in their taproom, and this sounds like a really neat one. If will be called Afternoon (At Night) Tea. It will explore the connection between two beverages for which the United Kingdom is well known: tea and beer. Learn about the influence the two beverages had on each other, in particular the development of pale ales. The story of how Wiseacre’s newly released Earl Grey Tea Pale Ale came to exist will be told. The tasting will end with afternoon tea at night, with pastries, snacks, and beer. They’re encouraging costumes or classy dress, although reminding folks that the brewery will be hot for the tour session.

One of Memphis’ most popular party bands headlines the Peabody rooftop party this Thursday. WALRUS will perform on the rooftop with special guest Nick Fradiani who is an American Idol winner. $15 at the door, with hotel guests free before 7 and the first 200 ladies free. There’s also a VIP ticket for $75 you can buy that gets you in all the parties for the rest of the season. Admission includes a buffet of Mediterranean chicken skewers, hummus and crackers, and drink specials are guava margaritas and Firefly black lemonade moonshine. If you’re in VIP you get an additional buffet of spanakopita, roasted lamp, tabbouleh, hummus and olives, and you have an additional drink special of pineapple passion punch.

From Mashable: When will Pokemon Go be Pokemon gone? It can’t happen soon enough for me! Just to be a brat, when I checked in at Max’s Sports Bar on Facebook last night, I commented that I don’t play that game but someone told me there was a Pikachu on the back deck.

There’s a new food truck in Memphis called Mahalo Life, serving Polynesian-style food as well as juices and smoothies. Follow the truck at @Mahalolife901 on Twitter to find out where it will be making appearances. The truck will be at the Court Square food truck rodeo tomorrow from 11 AM to 2 PM. If you are in Cooper-Young, catch the truck at the Memphis Made taproom Saturday 2-10 PM.

Holly from I Love Memphis has a report of an upcoming conversion of the Downtown Sleep Inn into an ultra-hip hotel:

Sleep Inn dtown Memphis will be converted into an ultra-hip @MoxyHotels in 2017. We’re touring the NOLA one. Wow. pic.twitter.com/I5OqeVw9oZ

— Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphis) July 13, 2016

Deal for those of you who like to have pool parties: Play beer pong in the pool for under $40

Memphis agency Sullivan Branding has made a big hire: They got the man who was one of the driving forces behind Capital One’s What’s in your wallet? ad campaign.

For now, I wish my readers adieu. I may be back about 5:30 with a second post. Happy hour at the Silly Goose this evening is my plan.