Paul Ryburn's Journal

Sesame Street has been a popular kids’ show for over 40 years, but did you know it’s also a show you can turn to for fashion advice? This morning “T” was the letter of the day on Sesame Street. There was a song about a girl wearing a tam-o-shanter and a TUBE TOP!!!!!!! I am so proud of the show for sending the proper message to the next generation. Hopefully lots of moms were watching the show with their kids too!

Mark the date on your calendar: The House of Grace Christmas party will be Sunday, December 8 at Double J Smokehouse and Saloon. The House of Grace is a home for battered women and their children. Featured entertainment will include Lance Strode, “The Piano Man” Gunnar Sansom, Nancy Apple, RT Scott, Jack Rowell, Nick Garrison, Bradley Riales, Chris Scott, Delta Joe Sanders, and special guest Keith Sykes. There will be a silent auction from 2 to 9 PM. There will be no cover charged, but guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy, women’s clothing, or cash donation for House of Grace.

Don’t forget that there’s a tree-lighting party in AutoZone Park’s “Rockeyfeller Center” plaza this afternoon. It will get started about 4:30. The first 50 kids will receive a special “illuminating” gift. There will also be free face painting, hot chocolate, and donuts. Free donuts? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up. They are advertising “special guest appearances” for the lighting as well.

If you’re a regular at either Max’s Sports Bar or the Green Beetle, stop by the bar of your choice to sign up for the Max’s vs. Beetle charity bowling challenge at Billy Hardwick’s All-Star Lanes Friday, December 6. Funds raised will benefit Habitat for Hope.

The River Inn on Mud Island has re-opened its upper-level terrace with changes in place to let it operate year-round. Folding windows will protect guests from heat, cold, and precipitation. The new menu is centered around plates that can be shared, and the terrace also has its own custom cocktail menu.

Speaking of winterized patios, Aldo’s Pizza Pies is winterizing its patio today to allow for seating during the cold months. It will be enclosed by tonight and heated by next week.

The ice skating rink at the Memphis Zoo opens to the public for the 2013-14 winter season tomorrow.

Alert for out-of-town Memphis Grizzlies fans: You can catch your team on ESPN tonight at 7. It’s a home game against the San Antonio Spurs.

That’ll do it for today’s lunchtime post. A few more hours at work and then a very cold weekend ahead. I guess it will be a few months before we’ll see Sesame Street’s fashion tip put to use.

If you’re on Twitter, you can vote for NBA All-Stars by tweeting the hashtag #NBABallot along with the first and last name of the player for whom you wish to vote. For example, you could tweet

#NBABallot Marc Gasol
#NBABallot Zach Randolph
#NBABallot Mike Conley

The Church Health Center is inviting everyone to participate in their Christmas card program. With a minimum suggested $10 donation, your recipient will get a full-color card letting them know that a gift to the Center has been made in their honor. This is an easy way to donate to the Center while thinking of those you care about during the holiday season. More info here.

Award-winning actress Sally Field will appear at the Peabody tomorrow, for a luncheon that benefits the West Cancer Center. Tickets are $125. Info on how to get tickets can be found here.

If you missed food & beverage trivia last night at Tamp & Tap, you have another chance to get in on the fun. Just show up at the Green Beetle at 8 tonight. Kevin Cerrito hosts, and the themed trivia is in honor of Downtown Dining Week.

Channel 5 is looking for a part-time Digital Content Producer. Details here.

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

I’ve heard about several job openings today, so I wanted to post them:

Director – Memphis Talent Dividend and Graduate Memphis

Operations Coordinator at Leadership Memphis

New Memphis Institute is hiring for two positions: Marketing & Communications Director and Program & Events Coordinator

In observance of Downtown Dining Week, Tamp & Tap’s weekly trivia night this evening will be all questions about food and drink. It’s hosted by Kevin Cerrito and start time is 7 PM.

There’s a Groupon for American Apparel going on right now. The Downtown AA store is at South Main and G.E. Patterson. You can get half-off on $40 or $80 worth of in-store or online purchases.

The Grizzlies play a road game at Golden State at 9:30 tonight. Tony Allen is suspended for this game for kicking Chris Paul in the face Monday in Los Angeles. Quincy Pondexter will most likely start in his place.

That’s it for now. After work I’ll go Duck hunting Downtown, then later tonight I’ll find a bar to watch the game.

Holly from the I Love Memphis Blog has put together a list of what’s open on Thanksgiving. This is worth a bookmark for sure.

In case you missed it last night: Tony Allen was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul for kicking Chris Paul in the face in a game against the L.A. Clippers. Allen apologized to Paul before he left the court, and Paul said after the game that he knew it was an accident. The Grizzlies win the game 106-102.

The Downtown Central BBQ location has $10 Ghost River Beer buckets and a $10 nacho/slider bar for tonight’s Tigers game.

Developer John Elkington and City Council member Lee Harris recently had a discussion about the future of Beale Street. Read about it here.

If you’re a Flying Saucer UFO Club member, mark next Tuesday, November 26, on your calendar. They’re having a Beerknurd appreciation party and you can show your U.F.O. (or M.O.U.) card for access to a Beerknurd buffet. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Flight has added daily chef’s plate lunches to their menu. On Monday the chef’s plate will be veal scaloppini; on Tuesday it will be fontina and spinach stuffed meatloaf; on Wednesday, buttermilk chicken; Thursday, crispy Atlantic flounder; and on Friday it will be black angus prime rib. Sides will include praline sweet potatoes, squash casserole, fried okra and white cheddar macaroni and cheese. Lunch is served from 11 AM to 2 PM.

Huge game tonight as the #11 Memphis Tigers travel to Oklahoma State to take on the seventh-ranked Cowboys. Go Tigers! I’m skipping poker at the Blind Bear tonight, because I want to devote my full attention to the Tigers. Then again, I may well end up at the Blind Bear anyway, since it’s a great place to watch basketball.

Thanks once again to all my friends who made my birthday weekend special, and some of whom nearly killed me with kindness. I’m starting to wish Fireball had never been invented. Seriously, though, thanks to all who helped me celebrate, and I can’t put in words how much you all mean to me. All right, time to publish and go run errands. Lately I’ve been a ping-pong ball bouncing between the Saucer and the Bear and that trend will probably continue tonight.

I hope you weren’t expecting a well-written, organized post this morning, because you’re not going to get one. You  can declare today Suit and Tie Day if you want, Mr. Mayor, but it’s my birthday and I’m declaring today PBR Hoodie and Shorts Day.

I do have one topic I want to discuss. I couldn’t care less about the Justin Timberlake concert Downtown tonight except for one thing: The people-watching will be exquisite. I remember the last time JT played the FedExForum, and as usual I was hanging out at the Flying Saucer. That bar sometimes gets called “The Flying Sausage” because the male-female ratio is often not very good – about 80% male some nights. Not on JT night though: The crowd was about 80% female that night. The window seats at the Flying Saucer are going to be prime real estate from about 3 to 8 PM today.

Where else to go for people-watching?

– Bleu, which is right across from the FedExForum and which is rolling out a line of JT-themed drinks tonight.

– The second-floor patio of Alfred’s

– The patio of the Silly Goose

– Any patio on Main Street. The closer to the Forum the better obviously.

Traffic and parking downtown will be cray cray (wow, that’s the first opportunity I’ve had this month to use the term “cray cray”) so allow extra time. Pro tip if you don’t want to deal with parking near the Forum: Double J Saloon on G.E. Patterson will have their limo shuttling people to and from the concert, so park for free in South Main, pre-game at the J, and catch a ride.

All right that’s all I’ve got. Recovering from the effects of multiple shots. Thanks everyone who posted, tweeted, and texted wishing me a happy birthday. It wouldn’t be a happy one without so many wonderful friends!

Because MPD is looking for violations on the flashing red.

Also Linden and Walnut.

If there’s any legit reason for this other than to entrap drivers let me know.

But I don’t think there is.

The Downtown Memphis Commission posted a great video this week entitled Downtown Works. It features a number of Downtown employeers discussing the reasons that they are glad their offices are here. To quickly summarize some of the points that were made:

• Plenty of hotels nearby, so out-of-town clients and co-workers can stay within walking distance to the office
• Able to walk to dry cleaner, doctor, dentist
• See people you know every time you walk down Main
• Discuss projects with clients at the corner of Main and Monroe, instead of in an office
• Walk to the river when you need to get away from it all
• Redbirds lunchtime special games
• Employees at a business that is not 8-5 feel safe; have had no security issues
• Two-thirds of all law offices in Memphis are Downtown, as is the law school
• Abundance of restaurants, museums, entertainment, Grizzlies games to take clients to

As someone who used to work Downtown in the Falls Building, I’ll add a few points of my own:

• Ability to walk home for lunch, if you also live Downtown
• If you need a snack, you’re not limited to the vending machine – Walgreens, City Market, Jack’s Food Store are walkable on a 15-minute break
• The Court Square lunchtime entertainment series the DMC runs in the spring. Great exposure to Memphis arts and culture
• Ride the trolley to South Main for lunch (or if you work in South Main, ride the trolley to the core)
• We’re on a double circuit so it’s nearly impossible for the power to go out due to storms

Anyway, to get back to the video, if you’re at all interested in moving a business of any size down here, or starting a business down here, I highly recommend you watch the video. For more information visit downtownmemphiscommission.com. You can also call 901-575-0540 and ask for Paul Morris who runs DMC. He was my neighbor in my building for five years, and he is super accessible and easy to talk to. Sometimes you’ll see him cruising down the Main Street Mall on a Segway, on his way to appointments or meetings.

OK moving on to other stuff… I feel like I owe the Blind Bear an apology. Yesterday I was the password, and it turned out to be one of those very rare days when I didn’t get there at all. What do I mean when I say I was the password? Well, normally on Friday and Saturday nights there’s a $5 cover after 8 PM. However, in speakeasy style, if you tell the doorman the correct password, you get in for free. Last night you had to say “Paul sent me” to beat the cover. “Like” Blind Bear Memphis on Facebook to learn what the password of the night is. You can also come to trivia on Thursday and in between rounds, Charles will tell you the passwords for the weekend.

Bardog Tavern provided more information in its quest to be named Most Arrogant Bar in its latest edition of its Bark and Herald e-newsletter. Every time you drink an oak-aged Stone Arrogant Bastard through November 24, you’re voting for Bardog to be named the Most Arrogant Bar. If Bardog wins, Stone will give the bar a Beer Bash, and you will be invited. There will be Stone swag given away throughout the voting period. In a little while I’m going to walk over to Bardog and help them win the contest. If there are any PBR or Fireball contests going on I’ll probably help Bardog win those too. My usual drinking buddy and “DAWG” John D got his new PS4 yesterday so I have a feeling I may be drinking alone today.

Memphis Made’s new beer Fireside Ninja is now on tap at the Flying Saucer (I incorrectly called it Flying Ninja last night on Twitter).

This is pretty cool: A Bluetooth device that calls your phone if somebody touches your bike. As bike commuting increases in Memphis devices like that one will be useful.

That’s it for now. Congrats to the Grizzlies on handing Marc’s brother and the Lakers a loss on their home court last night.

 

A deal was announced this morning for the Memphis Redbirds to be bought by their parent team, the St.Louis Cardinals. The city of Memphis will buy AutoZone Park. Details here.

There’s an electronics recycling drive happening at Central Station this afternoon from 3 to 6:30.

There’s a jazz festival coming to Downtown next week. The Memphis International Jazz Festival will happen on South Main November 21 to 24.

Belle Diner has announced that it will have complimentary valet parking on Friday and Saturday nights, beginning tonight.

Help Bardog win the title of Most Arrogant Bar in America. Each pint of Stone Arrogant Bastard that you purchase between today and November 24 helps Bardog win. There will be daily Stone specials.

Central BBQ is selling smoked turkeys for Thanksgiving. They are $39.99 and are 12-14 pounds. Last day to order is November 22. I’ve previously posted that Lunchbox Eats and Flying Fish are also selling turkeys.

If you were a U.S. poker player on Full Tilt Poker and the site owes you money, you have until tomorrow to file a claim.

I had a good time at the Blind Bear last night listening to Charvey McLemore. The Nuh-Uh Girl was there and as usual, she went around seeing what everyone was having to eat. Here are a couple of pics:

Wrapping things up at work in preparation for a three-day weekend. I decided that Monday in a cubicle was not really the way I wanted to spend my birthday, so I put in for a vacation day. Right now, it’s time to hit Publish and head to Target, where I’ve discovered that they sell bacon jerky. That would make a great late-night snack so I’ll be bringing several bags home today.

There’s a new store on South Main selling new and used books, gifts and greeting cards. It’s called South Main Book Juggler and you can view their Facebook page here. These are owned by local Downtowners who are really good people, so please support them!

Lunchbox Eats is taking orders for complete Thanksgiving dinner for 6 people. They have two complete dinner options, and they are also selling entrees and sides individually. Their food is outstanding and I would be all over this if I had people to feed. The restaurant is taking orders through Thursday the 21st, and you can pick up your food Tuesday-Thursday, the 26th-28th.

Over on the Hungry Memphis blog, there are picks for the 5 best deals for Downtown Dining Week. If you want to try any of these places, get on the phone and make reservations NOW. Some of the best restaurants may be down to 5:30 and 9:30 seating times if they’re not already booked solid. Do not delay.

Bleu is hosting a launch party for Justin Timberlake’s new drink brands on Monday, November 18. Of course, that’s the day JT will be in concert at the FedExForum. (It also happens to be my birthday!)

The Flyer reports that changes are happening at Trolley Stop Market. There will be changes made to the space itself, as well as changes to the menu. The restaurant plans to show Tigers and Grizzlies games on screens (although they’re not turning into a sports bar), and they want to have live music on the weekends.

Plans for tonight: I will be at the Blind Bear at 10 to hear Charvey McLemore. By the way, the Bear has moved its trivia night to Thursday, and Charles will get it started at 7:30 tonight. $25, $15, and $10 gift cards to the top 3 teams, and beer for the best team name. Whether or not you do trivia, come on out at 10 and catch one of Memphis’ most talented musicians!

Fly Lounge opens tomorrow night in FedExForum. It’s the brainchild of chef Kelly English and nightclub entrepreneur Steve Adelman. It will stay open late after Grizzlies and Tigers games and will offer sleek banquet seating, a freestanding center bar area, VIP accommodations, top-of-the-line service and live music from nightly guest DJs. Tomorrow from 9:30 to 1, after the game, there will be a party in the lounge hosted by Mike Miller, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley. More info here.

Shop Girl New York will host a Trish McEvoy makeup event on Friday (3-7 PM) and Saturday (11 AM-5 PM). Come by for a complimentary makeover. Appointments are preferred (731-664-1842) but walk-ins are welcome. Wine and cheese will be served. Free wine and cheese? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The Flyer has an article on the new chefs at Downtown restaurants Bleu and the Blind Bear.

The sixth volume of Ignite Memphis happens next Tuesday, November 19. The idea is “enlighten us, but make it quick,” with presenters having five minutes to talk and slides auto-advancing every 15 seconds. It will take place at Crosstown Arts and your ticket includes beer, wine, and food.

The mixologists who will be competing in Dishcrawl’s Cocktail Wars at Alfred’s on December 12 have been announced. Many Downtown restaurants will be represented, including Mesquite Chop House, Rum Boogie, King’s Palace, Alfred’s, Automatic Slim’s, Bardog, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, and Green Beetle. Buy tickets for Cocktail Wars here.

Plans for tonight: It’s the final table for the Blind Bear’s 16-week poker league, and I have a seat at the table. Last time I sat down at a Blind Bear final table, I walked out with a new iPad. The prize this time around is $500 in Downtown restaurant gift cards. If you didn’t make the final 10, come on down anyway, because there will be a side game. Good luck to my nine opponents and I’ll see you tonight.