This first item makes me really sad. A lot of people are very upset that an Indian-American woman won the Miss USA pageant. As soon as she was crowned, Twitter was flooded with racist tweets, including some calling her an Arab. Really people? Whatever happened to the idea of America being a melting pot of cultures? I guess that’s the great thing about Twitter, though; it gives everyone an equal opportunity to prove how stupid and closed-minded they are. Congratulations to the new Miss USA.
Festival season is in full gear for the fall. Let’s look ahead to the coming weekend. This isn’t a festival but worth mentioning anyway: Downtown Museum Day is Saturday. Many museums in the Downtown area will offer free or half-off admission. In addition, Memphis Hop, the bus that shuttles riders to popular tourist attractions, will have half-off fares Saturday, and historian Jimmy Ogle will give two free walking tours of Downtown.
Sunday is the second annual Best Memphis Burger Fest at Minglewood Hall. This event is the creation of Seth of the Best Memphis Burger blog. It kicks off with a Best Bloody Mary contest at 9 AM. After that there will be several burger competitions, including veggie, anything but beef, extreme burger, and Best Memphis Burger. There will also be a Team Kookamonga Challenge where teams of two try to eat as much of Kooky Canuck’s giant burger in the allotted time. Four bands will perform throughout the day.
Last year I experienced the burger fest as a judge; this year I’m going to pass up the opportunity to judge to experience the festival from a competition team point of view. My friends at Squeal Street BBQ have entered, and have invited me to hang out in their booth. They’ve always been one of the most well-organized teams at BBQ Fest and it will be a pleasure to watch them operate.
There’s a South Main Logo Design contest that you can enter. Download a logo in .jpg or vector format, and put in what South Main means to you. Selected logos will be put on display at Trolley Night in September. Trolley Night attendees will vote for their favorite logo, with the designer of the top vote-getter winning $500.
People wonder why I wear my BBQ team rubber bracelet months after the festival ended. It’s a conversation starter. Yesterday it led to two people inquiring about the team who would be awesome additions. I’ll mention them next time I see one of the board members. Later in the day yesterday I crashed and burned at Blind Bear poker. There are some nights where I just show up to get my point for being there and my point for checking in on Foursquare, and I don’t really play to win. If I keep getting the points for showing up and playing well on the nights when I feel like it, I should be headed toward the league final table.
I’ll be at Pint Nite at the Flying Saucer after work, enjoying some $3 draft beers. Dos Equis Lager and maybe a few beers toward my next plate.
In late 2006, word got out that a new nightclub was going in at the former Elvis Presley’s location on Beale, just west of Second on the north side of the street. It was to be called EP Delta Kitchen. The owners were aiming high: They brought in renowned chef Michael Patrick to prepare food, and after-hours they planned to transform the place into a nightclub manned by some of the area’s top DJs. The club started off as a huge success, with posh patio seating and multiple bars on two levels. They also had nightly specials which were generally a smashing success.
SIDE NOTE: I say “generally” because there were exceptions. For Monday Night Football they put out a food buffet for patrons who were ordering drinks. That sounds like a good idea but those damn chili dogs kept me glued to the toilet all damn day Tuesday. It may not be apropos to refer to defecation so near the beginning of a post, and if it offended you I apologize, but I’m not exactly the first person in the history of blogging to do it.
The one thing the place didn’t have, however, was buy-in from the locals. I mean, I’d stop by from time to time because I knew people who worked there, and occasionally other Downtowners would as well. However, it was not a gathering place for those who lived nearby. We went there on occasion – I had a birthday party on the upper level which was expertly catered by the Chef and which was one of the best birthdays of my life- but we weren’t there on a nightly basis. One veteran bartender, David Hooper, had plans to change that. He knew there was an entire separate bar on the second floor that was not being used. He worked with EP Delta Kitchen to renovate it into a neighborhood bar, something that I mentioned in an earlier post was something sorely needed in 2007. He decorated it with vintage record albums as part of the bar top and lamp posts as table decorations. Most importantly, Hoop decided to carry PBR in cans.
SIDE NOTE: Hoop’s Bar has been closed since Fall 2008. Some of my “detractors” will undoubtedly bash me for reviewing a bar that has been closed for five years, and I do understand their point. However, you know what they say. Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one. And while that may or may not be true, it’s my opinion that it’s perfectly fine to review Hoop’s Bar as a nod to the history of PBR in Downtown Memphis. Not everybody will agree but “it is what it is” I guess.
SIDE NOTE: Instead of worrying about “detractors,” I should be thanking those of you who have had positive things to say about this series. Things like “he’s trying as hard as he can” and “his writing really isn’t THAT bad.” Compliments like that make my day and are the reason I continue writing this blog.
The menu
The goal of Hoop’s was to give our Downtown neighbors a place to hang out near Beale Street. In fact, looking out the second-story windows, one could see directly into Blues City Cafe, one of Beale’s most popular destinations. Hoop wanted to offer a menu which was basic, yet in a nod to the gourmet fare served at EP’s, was a little more upscale than traditional bar food. He also wanted to serve menu items that paired well with PBR.
The hallmark of the menu was the “Badass Burger,” a large burger which was indeed badass. It was an 8-ounce burger cooked on the grill and served with the usual condiments. I cannot tell you how much a PBR set off the natural flavor of ingredients including mustard and tomato. I am normally not a fan of tomato on my burgers, but it is just such a natural fit with a 12 ounce can of PBR that I made an exception at Hoop’s Bar.
Another specialty was “Anna’s Egg Wolls,” a recipe created by Hoop’s wife. I took these home many a night as Paul’s Drunkass Food, and when I did I made sure to have a PBR in the fridge waiting for me, for the PBR greatly accentuated the Asian flavors found within the egg rolls.
The original PBRtini at Hoop’s
At the bottom of the menu (zoom in if you can’t see it in the pic above without the help of a microscope) was a classic cocktail that Hoop invented, and which I have since had at many other bars: The PBRtini. About four months after I started ascending the steps to the second floor to hang out at Hoop’s, I noticed it on the menu. I ordered one and Hoop popped a PBR and poured it into one of the bar’s special martini glasses. I have been addicted ever since.
Hoop’s Bar had a big-screen TV which was perfect for watching NFL football when it was on during the fall and winter. When there were no sports to watch, Hoop would put other shows on including South Park. Hoop had an assistant named Tony, and you didn’t want to miss a minute when the place was open because you never knew what the two of them might be up to. One day they had a new machine that would produce the foam in a freshly-opened Guinness can. They poked a hole in the top of a Bud bottle with a hammer and nail, and put it on the contraption. Budweiser sprayed all across the ceiling. (Of course, they would never do that with a PBR, which is too valuable to waste.) After Tony left, Hoop got two new assistants named Ross and Colin, who continued to keep the place fun.
SIDE NOTE: Colin is now one of the proprietors of Blind Bear, which serves PBR.
As 2008 rolled on, the owners of EP Delta Kitchen made some changes which proved to be unsuccessful. For one thing, they failed to emphasize the culinary expertise of their chef properly, and he left for greener pastures. They also changed the format of their nightclub music, causing the club to lose many patrons to the newly-opened Red Rooster down the street. Through it all, Hoop’s Bar continued to draw a solid crowd night in and night out. EP’s finally had to close its doors in Summer 2008. Hoop’s Bar lasted a couple of months longer, but the locals’ crowd in that upstairs bar simply wasn’t enough to pay the rent in such a massive space in a prime location. Hoop’s closed in the fall.
The space occupied by Hoop’s has not reopened since. The main EP space became Republic Nightclub in 2010. They did not serve PBR and charged $11 for a Captain and Coke. Not surprisingly, they were out of business in less than a year. The building has been vacant since.
Hoop went on to open a similar bar in the downstairs of a Cajun restaurant on South Front Street. When that business ran into problems similar to those at EP, Hoop accepted a manager job at Silky O’Sullivan’s, where he is to this day. When I go to Silky’s I drink Hurricanes, so I am not sure if they serve PBR. If they do, it is probably an ingredient in their Diver buckets.
Perhaps one day a commemorative plaque will be erected at Second and Beale denoting Hoop’s Bar as the place where the PBRtini was first served. Whether that happens or not, in less than a year it was open, Hoop’s Bar earned its reputation as one of the best places in Memphis to drink a PBR.
Whoa! Almost left the apartment without hitting Publish again. I hate it when I do that.
There’s a new dragon trolley circling Downtown. Its purpose is to promote the dragon boat races that will happen on Mud Island October 5. I saw it last night and it looks really good. It’s actually not a new trolley, but one of the old trolleys that has been wrapped.
The 19th annual Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival will happen Saturday, September 28 from 11 AM to 4 PM at AutoZone Park. Your ticket, $7 in advance or $10 at the door, lets you eat all the ice cream you want while enjoying live entertainment. Needless to say, this event is kid-friendly.
Kooky Canuck’s own Shawn Danko was on WREG Channel 3’s Does it Work? segment this week. He tested the Head Blade, a new hand-held device for shaving one’s head.
I have a promo code to share with you. Enter promo code “ryburn” to get $10 off one of three tasting options at Battledish Memphis. This October 5 event (2-6 PM) has six Downtown chefs competing in a worldwide competition. You can choose from a “teaser” package where you get to sample some of the dishes, a larger package where you sample all of the dishes, or a VIP package including early admission at 1 PM.
I was asked to be a judge for Battledish, but I’m already committed to an engagement party two of my friends are having that day. I’d be interested in judging a future one for sure though!
Watch out for heavy traffic tomorrow, in Midtown in the late afternoon/early evening and Downtown after 9 PM due to the Southern Heritage Classic. Traffic will also be congested in Midtown for the Cooper-Young Festival.
By the way, people have this idea that Downtown turns into a damn combat zone the night of the Southern Heritage Classic. Last year I went out to my favorite bars on Peabody Place and Main Street and everything was just fine. Beale may be different, but I normally don’t go to Beale Saturdays anyway. Point is, if you live in the core, don’t be afraid to walk to your regular hangouts.
In the news: Eight blocks of Jersey Shore boardwalk and businesses burned in a massive six-alarm fire yesterday in Seaside Park and Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The fire was about 3/4 a mile south of the famous house on the TV series Jersey Shore. Based on the addresses, I believe the bar where Snooki got punched in the face may have been among businesses that burned.
Tomorrow is Fall into Art day at Memphis Farmers Market. Patrons are asked to capture the spirit of the market on canvas. A People’s Choice vote of the finished artworks will be taken next Saturday, and the top 3 will be selected to be auctioned off at November 3’s Barnyard Ball. Music schedule for tomorrow’s market: Real McCoys 8-9:30; Megan McMillan 9:30-11; Rob Halford & Peter Himebrook 11-12:30.
The FedExForum announced that John Mayer will return Friday, November 29. Tickets on sale next Saturday.
Classic film Animal House plays on the Orpheum’s big screen tonight at 7.
That’ll wrap up this post for now. Still undecided between college football and Cooper-Young Fest tomorrow. Leaning slightly in the direction of football a little. At any rate, I’ll be out at the usual places about 5:30 tonight, with a possible trip south to Earnestine & Hazel’s to pay respect to Russell.
It was confirmed yesterday that Karen and Keenon will have the doors open at Earnestine & Hazel’s at 5 PM today. It will be the first time the South Main dive bar has been open for business since proprietor Russell George was found dead there Monday morning. Come have some beers and a Soul Burger and support good Downtown friends.
The first event of the Peabody’s fall rooftop party season happens tonight. Hollywood will perform live, and there will be a buffet of assorted pizzas, BBQ meatballs and sauce. The drink special will be Cruzan rum with choice of mixer for $4. VIP card holders will have a second buffet of a nacho bar, Southern fried chicken drummettes, and chicken cheesesteak. $10 cover includes your first drink, doors open at 6, ladies free before 7.
Here’s an event for history fans. Saturday at 10:30 AM, Elmwood Cemetery will host a 90-minute walking tour entitled “Yellow Fever – A Tour of the Plague.” It will cover the yellow fever epidemics of 1873, 1878, and 1879, discussing the Howard Association, the Citizens’ Relief Committee, the Sisters of St. Mary’s, and individuals who fought the spread of the disease. Registration is required; 901-774-3212 to register. $15 per person.
There’s a Groupon for the Rumba Room on South Main. Two options: $7 for $14 worth of Latin-fusion food for parties of two or more, or $15 for $30 worth of Latin-fusion food for parties of four or more.
Like beer? Going to Cooper-Young Fest Saturday? Memphis Made Brewery will have T-shirts for sale at their 768 S. Cooper location. Here’s a photo of the shirts.
I love this Memphis Que post about Germantown Commissary. It’s not the food review itself that I love (although the review is very well written). It’s the first paragraph, which discusses the Commerical Appeal’s Memphis Most poll. “The Memphis Most poll is a shameless copy of the Best of Memphis poll published annually in the Memphis Flyer newspaper. Along with being the original, the Best of Memphis poll in the Flyer is generally considered the more credible guide to the city.” YES YES YES. I do not vote in the Memphis Most poll and I do not care who wins. It’s a cheap imitation. Well said, Craig.
Yesterday I blogged about the Brass Door’s 2nd anniversary/halfway to St. Pat’s celebration this weekend. I have now learned of an additional event on the schedule. Saturday from 5 to 10 PM there will be a $10 beer bust as part of the alley party.
That’s it for now. I’ll lead off at the Silly Goose today after work, and I promise I’ll be in a better mood than I was yesterday.
Funeral service for Russell George of Earnestine & Hazel’s has been set. Service will be Friday at 11 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Downtown. Afterward there will be a celebration in Russell’s memory at E&H.
The Memphis Farmers Market has been named the 7th best Farmers Market in the U.S. Congratulations to all those who organize the market. Well deserved!
The Brass Door is having a second anniversary party and “Halfway to St. Pat’s” weekend Friday-Sunday. Friday they will have The Pistol and the Queen in the Cavern at 9 PM. Saturday they will open at 6:30 AM for EPL, and at 5 there will be an alley party with drink specials and costume contests, followed by a 9 PM party in the Cavern. Sunday there will be a jazz brunch with Stand By for Mars.
Double J will have the entire FreeWorld band play their parking lot Saturday night from 8:30 to 12.
Here’s something different for weekend brunch: Twilight Sky Terrace atop the Madison is doing “Beatles Sunrise Weekends” Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 to 11:30 AM. You can enjoy the sounds of John, Paul, George and Ringo while dining from a Beatles-themed menu.
Oskar Blues, a Longmont, Colorado brewery that was the first to can craft beer, has brought their product to Memphis. Last night they had a roll-out at the Flying Saucer. Beers include Dale’s Pale Ale, the first canned craft beer; Old Chub, an 8% Scotch ale brewed with seven different malts including crystal and chocolate malts; and Ten FIDY, a 10% imperial stout. They started their canning process in a barn in 2002. Since then over 150 craft breweries have joined the canning revolution.
Shout-out to all the firefighters, police officers, and emergency responders keeping us safe this 12th anniversary of 9/11. Much thanks and respect to you.
You know what Twitter needs? A “temporarily block news sources live-tweeting the County Commission meetings” widget. For about 3 hours yesterday my timeline was all crapped up with detailed accounts of the commissioners’ bickering. If I wanted to know what clowns were doing, I’d buy a ticket to the circus.
I’ve learned of two more places that have NFL Sunday ticket: The Green Beetle has the package and has added a new TV. Also, George Paul’s Last Call, the back bar of Blues City Cafe, has the package and five TVs. Those are in addition to Max’s, Double J, and Mad Earl that I reported yesterday.
Grizzlies owner Robert Pera has challenged guard Tony Allen to a game of one-on-one before fall camp gets started. If Allen wins, Pera will donate $100,000 to a charity of TA’s choice.
The Brass Door will show two soccer matches today: England vs. Ukraine at 1:45 and USA vs. Mexico at 7.
Randomly-selected Yellow Cab and Checker Cab passengers will be treated to free rides as a way to say thanks. Passengers won’t know until they reach their destination, when they will be told, “Your ride is on us.”
Adams Avenue will be closed from Front to Third tomorrow during the daytime. The reason will be a September 11 rememberance of fallen firefighters.
Unexpectedly entertaining Monday last night. I started off at the Silly Goose for a few celebratory beers with a friend. Then I walked next door to the Flying Saucer for Pint Nite, where I watched someone complete Level 289 of the game of Stupid. I was not aware there were more than 200 levels. It’s funny how some people don’t understand GO AWAY but we didn’t have an English-to-dumbass translator.
It’s Tuesday and that means I’ll be at Blind Bear poker at 8. It’s free to play and the PBR is cold.
BREAKING: A body was found inside Earnestine & Hazel’s this morning. Police are investigating. The Flyer reported that the cause of death, according to MPD, appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It is not yet known if the victim was male or female. Employees Miss Karen and Peewee have been seen outside the building this morning so they are alive and safe. (Edit 1:37 PM: The CA is now reporting that they bod found was Russell George, longtime proprietor of E&H.)
Tonight is the first night of regular-season Monday Night Football. Kooky Canuck does an NFL special on Monday and Thursday nights: $4 34-ounce Bud Light draft, and 50-cent wings (minimum 10). The specials are during the game only and are dine-in only. Any other restaurants or bars Downtown doing MNF specials? Probably won’t have time to post before tonight’s game but I can get them up next Monday.
I’m also making a list of bars Downtown that carry NFL Sunday Ticket. The three I know of are Mad Earl, Max’s Sports Bar, and Double J. Any others? Shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com or hit me up on social media if you know of any. Does that bar inside the Holiday Inn on Union still have it?
If you’re looking for fun stuff to do with kids Downtown, tickets for the 2013-2014 Orpheum Family Series went on sale today. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sid the Science Kid, and Frogz! are among the season’s highlights.
This is very cool: archer > malmo has built a bike garage for employees. Many people who work there live Downtown or Midtown and bike to work. They also have a communal bike employees can borrow for errands. Way to encourage environmentally-friendly commuting! Great job!
In “what are the crazy people up to” news, Kim Jong-un has asked Dennis Rodman to train North Korea’s basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Rodman hopes to bring some of his old teammates over in December for a game against the locals, and Kim has given Rodman permission to write a book about him.
The weekend just ended, but I’m already looking ahead to next Saturday. There are two good options for Saturday morning and I’m trying to decide which to do. Option A is to watch the Arkansas-Southern Miss game at Max’s Sports Bar. It’s an 11:21 kickoff. Morning games are a lot of fun at Max’s and I haven’t had the experience yet this season.
Option B is the Cooper-Young Festival, a huge half-mile long festival in Midtown’s Cooper-Young neighborhood with live music, vendors, and food. This is one of the best festivals of the year. Weather looks ideal. The only problem is, I don’t drink and drive so I would have to deal with taxis there and back. Given that the Southern Heritage Classic is the same day, it may be harder than usual to get a cab in Memphis.
Yeah, I know that I could watch the game at Max’s and then cab it to Cooper-Young, but that’s not how I work. If I park myself at Max’s it’s very unlikely that I will get up and leave when the Arkansas game is over, unless it’s to go to another bar Downtown. Besides, Cooper-Young Fest is best in the 11 AM-1 PM time period before it gets super busy.
Anyway, I have five days to figure it out. Tonight I’ll do Pint Nite at the Saucer, then decide whether to stay there or relocate to Blind Bear for MNF. If I hear anything more about the situation at E&H I may do an update post after work.
OK, I want to start this blog post off with a question for my readers. Last night there was a party on my rooftop. The hosts were serving some booze but invited guests to bring their drink of choice. My drink of choice, of course, is PBR. I surveyed my fridge yesterday afternoon and determined there were enough cans that a run to City Market was not necessary. So about 9:00 I grabbed a can and rode the elevator up there. I popped it open and took a few sips. “This doesn’t taste right,” I thought. I examined the bottom of the can and read “AUG1511.” Well that’s why.
I have several more of these cans with a similar expiration date. How does one dispose of PBR? It’s like an American flag that has lived out its useful life. You don’t just dump it in the garbage with the morning’s coffee grounds. You dispose of it with respect. What’s a respectful way to get rid of PBR?
From The Daily News: The Little Tea Shop has earned its “institution” tag. Yes, it has. Those of you moving into the One Commerce Square building, please take a walk down Monroe and get to know “Miss Su” at lunchtime.
Speaking of the move: Paul Morris who runs DMC wants the building the state is leaving, the Civic Center Plaza Hill building, occupied soon. City officials are looking at the space as a possible way to centralize employees scattered about the city, and/or to stop paying rent for two floors of 201 Poplar.
Insider tip about the Flying Saucer’s Oktoberfest, which I mentioned in yesterday’s post: Admission will be $15 but for the next few days you can buy a ticket at the Downtown Saucer for only $10. I got mine yesterday. I’ll have to hope that Arkansas-Texas A&M is not the 5:00 game.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City of New York declared last Wednesday to be Elie Tahari Day. Tahari invented the tube top in 1973.
Skipping brunch at the Majestic this morning… the 10:30 start time just didn’t work with my sleep schedule. I’ll hit the Blind Bear at noon now that it’s opening early for NFL.
