Yesterday was Bardog Tavern’s 5th anniversary. To celebrate, Aldo threw a huge alley party, which was preceded by the Breakaway-Bardog 5K race. Both were to raise money for St. Jude. There were reported to be at least 1025 people who ran, which means that probably just the race alone broke last year’s total raised of $30,000. I got to the party at noon and found it to be expanded this year, with Monroe Avenue blocked between Front and Main to expand the party into the street.
I didn’t take as many pictures as usual, because I wanted to concentrate on having a good time with friends. Here are some of the best of the pictures I got.
Okay, that concludes “the best” of the photos, i.e. “photos with tube tops or tube top dresses in them.” Now, here are some of “the rest” of the photos:
Bama Lawdog
Terrell working the Italian ice cart
Nice to see one of MPD’s finest win one of the Fat Tire bikes that was raffled.
The Nuh-Uh Girl taking the Fat Tire bike for a ride. She seems to be looking for a pawn shop.
Soon-to-be-open restaurant Dejavu around the corner brought some jambalaya for party-goers to try. It was delicious. Can’t wait to have some more in the new restaurant.
The alley, where there were beer stands, VIP tables, a dunk tank, and a meatball eating contest.
Uncle Ray enjoying a cigar
Not exactly sure what is going on here.
Special thanks to Jimmy AKA “Scratchy” for the use of his alley for the day.
The raffle
Suzy with strategically placed stickers. These were a good idea because I saw Suzy earlier in the day, and she appeared a bit, shall we say, chilly.
Full album (44 photos) here. What a great party, and boy did the weather cooperate. Low 80s in August is a treat for sure. Thanks to Aldo and all the people involved with Aldo’s restaurants for being such a wonderful part of our Memphis community.
After the Bardog alley party ended yesterday, I needed to get something to eat, having only had a small plate of jambalaya at the party. Bardog itself was super packed, and had a limited menu yesterday, so I didn’t bother trying to eat there. As I walked down Main Street deciding what I wanted, I noticed there were bar seats open at Aldo’s Pizza Pies, something that rarely happens because the bar almost always stays packed. I thought to myself, what better way to thank Aldo for all he does for St. Jude and the community than eating at another of his restaurants? So I went in.
The Slice of the Day was The Memphis, a BBQ pizza. Now, normally I am not a huge fan of BBQ pizzas, because I find most of them to be subpar. However, Aldo’s take on BBQ pizza comes topped with pulled pork from Central BBQ, along with mozzarella and onions on a base of BBQ sauce. With pork from Central, I knew the pizza was bound to be good. I was hungry enough to order two slices.
The pizza was as good as I expected it to be. I like it that they put the slaw on the side, because not everyone wants slaw on their pizza (or their BBQ sandwich for that matter). I myself have no problem with slaw and spread it atop my slices. The pizza was absolutely delicious and all the ingredients worked together perfectly. This is a pizza I would most certainly consider ordering as a whole in the 12″ or 18″ sizes that Aldo offers.
Thumbs up to Aldo and his staff for an excellent party followed by some excellent pizza. I’ll try to get the Bardog alley party photos up later today.
Yesterday I posted that the Bardog alley party is open to the public at 11:30. It’s actually noon. Up until then it’s a private party for the runners who generously raised money for the Bardog 5K. Several opening times have been mentioned but I heard noon straight from Aldo himself, so that’s the correct time. Apologies for any confusion caused by the incorrect time in yesterday’s post.
Note from Paul: Last night I was in the Silly Goose about 6:30. This guy came in asking how to get to Graceland, saying how excited he was to be in the home of the King, Elvis Presley, and the birthplace of rock and roll. He had on a pink bedazzled Elvis hat, an “Elvis 35th” T-shirt (even though this is the 36th), and was accessorized with Elvis arm band and coin purse. He had his camera around his neck, so I told him there was an Elvis Pub crawl happening next door and asked if he’d like to cover it for my blog. He was very excited and said yes immediately. I got a photo of him (above, with Katie Mac) before he took off.
Last night was so exciting! There were Elvises, Elvises everywhere congregating at the Flying Saucer. Here are a few photos I took:
After the Flying Saucer, the Elvises stumbled to the Blind Bear. Did you know what Elvis likes Mason jars full of PBR?
Then we made our way to the Peabody to walk through the lobby. On the way, this happened.
It seemed like the Elvises got stopped every 10 feet by tourists wanting a photo. That’s part of the fun of the pub crawl though.
In the past the Peabody wasn’t very happy to have us there. This year things were different. They let us take all the photos that we wanted with tourists and even the staff. One of the security guys in a dark suit came over and told us we were welcome to be there and they were happy to have us. I really appreciated that.
Beale Street. More tourists, more photos. My friends who were in costume told me it took them 45 minutes to walk from Third to Second, which is about par for the course for the pub crawl.
Meanwhile, back at the Saucer, we dressed Alissa up in Blue Hawaii scarves and leis.
Even the door guy got in on the fun.
Full album (25 photos) here. We even got media coverage, with a local TV station sending a reporter to interview the organizers and the Elvises. If I can find a link to the story I will post it. (Edit: Found it. View it here.)
The highlight of the evening for me was discussing Stumblin’ Elvis with Nate, a new manager at the Saucer who got handed the project at the very last minute. Nate sees a lot of potential in the event for future years and hopes to grow it. He told me, “You have to start planning for Stumblin’ Elvis 2014 the day after the 2013 one is over.” YES! I’m glad to see people are thinking that way. This event could get huge if planned far enough in advance.
Fun times. The Annoying Elvis Tourist will be back for 2014.
As longtime readers of this blog know, I consider the Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest to be the best Memphis beer festival of the year. No social scene, no RSVP Magazine taking photos, just lots of beer and lots of ways to learn more about beer. Many of the brewers appear personally in the booths where you can chat with them, and there’s an education tent. In the past three years the festival has been in a parking lot on Walker. This year, however, they are moving it to Midtown Autowerks at 795 S. Cooper. The larger space will accommodate more brewers and more booths. It will also be conveniently located across the street from Memphis Made Brewery, which local brewer Drew Barton should have open by then. Tickets will go on sale September 13 and the event date is Saturday, October 19. Keep up with Beerfest news on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or subscribe to their email list.
In other beer news, I was told by several people last night that my “Paul’s PBR Review” post about the Silly Goose was very well received. Glad to hear it. I’m working on a second post about Max’s Sports Bar that is about two-thirds done. Not all the posts will be as serious as the one about the Goose – I plan on having some fun with this series – but I’m glad people find them useful and informative. By the time the series has had its run, I hope to show that you can find a good PBR in the most unexpected places.
In beer news that isn’t about PBR, when I went to Beale Street yesterday, I noticed a beer deal that is worth mentioning. Blues City Cafe has a 32 oz. cup of Abita Andygator for only $8.50. That is a delicious craft beer and it used to be one of my go-to beers at the Flying Saucer. At 8% ABV, it’s really an equally good value for the money as a $5 32 oz. Bud, and you’ll actually be drinking a good beer as you walk around Beale or sit at the bar at George Paul’s Last Call.
Advice for PR people: When you’re requesting media placement, check to see if your event has already been mentioned before you ask. I say this because I got an email from the PR firm the Flying Saucer contracts with at 4:37 PM yesterday telling me about Stumblin’ Elvis and asking if I could mention the pub crawl on my blog, or maybe on social media or an event calendar. If they had looked at my blog, they would have seen that I had posted about my costume a mere two hours earlier, and that I’d been talking about Stumblin’ Elvis all week. They also would have learned that I don’t have an event calendar. FAIL.
The Orpheum is holding a raffle and the grand prize is a 1995 Ferrari 348 Spider with less than 27,000 miles. Tickets are $100, drawing will be November 16, and you will not need to be present to win. Other prizes include two Orpheum Broadway suite season tickets, a Broadway Evening with 4 luxury suite tickets to a show and an invite to the cast party, and a movie night for 20 at one of the 2014 Summer Movie Series nights. More info here.
The MBJ reports that the zoning board approved a variance for 666 S. Riverside to allow a storage facility and drive-thru there. I know that a number of the building’s neighbors were against this variance and even set up a website in protest. I hope the property owner will do something in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. The fact that the property owner is in Germantown worries me a good bit.
Two informative 3-D animated short films about the future of Downtown will be shown next week. Inside Bass Pro Shops and Across the Harahan Bridge will be 20 minutes long apiece, and will show you what the two projects will be like AFTER they have been completed. The films were announced by the Downtown Neighborhood Association, but you do not have to be a member to attend, so come get your virtual walkthrough of these places. Showtime is 6 PM at the Calliope Room, 456 Tennessee Street, Tuesday, August 20. Cash bar, free popcorn. Free popcorn? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.
Classy Nails Spa at 8 S. Main has closed and there are For Rent signs on the doors.
Thanks to Jeremy who invited me to his fourth plate party at the Flying Saucer last night. I had a couple of Dos Equis Lagers on his $125 tab. It’s nice to be an invited guest at plate parties. One more trip through the Ring of Honor and Jeremy will receive his Master of the Universe (M.O.U.) card.
Expect lots of photos on the blog over the next two days. Tonight I’ll get plenty of Stumblin’ Elvis photos, and tomorrow I’ll be taking lots of pics of the Bardog Alley Party. The schedule of events lists the start time as (Edit: noon). That means I will be skipping Majestic brunch tomorrow. That new All Around the World beer tent sounds like something of interest. On the other hand, I’m going to skip the poker tournament because I want to be out taking lots of photos like I do every year (I’ll go down there for a few minutes and get some photos of the tournament though). Fun, fun weekend ahead and I’m kicking it off at Panda’s bar at Bardog at 11 today as usual. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll come stumble with us tonight.
Folks, I just got back from doing some shopping at A. Schwab and Blues City General Store. Tomorrow is the annual Stumblin’ Elvis pub crawl, to raise food donations for the Ronald McDonald House. I took my Elvis costume out of the closet this morning and I got ready to wash it to wear again this year. As I looked it over, I realized I wasn’t that enthusiastic about Stumblin’ Elvis for several reasons:
1) Ninety bazillion people want to take your picture when you’re Elvis. Last year, when I arrived at the Flying Saucer, the first stop on the pub crawl, I had to stop for four photos before I even made it to the bar to get a beer. And walking up Beale from Silky’s to Second… we were stopped every ten feet. As I explained before, you have to go along with it, because as Elvis, you are the spectacle. But it gets really tiresome after a while.
2) The other thing is, I have never been able to take good photos for my blog of all the Elvii. My hands have always been full, and having to get my camera in and out of an improvised pocket of an Elvis jumpsuit just doesn’t work. Sooner or later I knew I would break the camera. So I just left it in my pocket and left my blog readers without photos. I’ve never been happy about that.
3) I’m one Elvis among many. I don’t stand out in any way. I’m one Elvis among Elvii, and there are many Elvii who go to much greater lengths preparing their costume than I do mine. I’ve always had a problem with being “supporting cast” at events like this.
This morning, while typing my “Friday update” blog post, I came up with an idea for a new costume, one that would solve all three of these problems at once. The more I mulled it over, I thought to myself, “This could work!” and I began planning a Beale Street shopping spree. The result was a new costume which cost about $52 total, more than I paid for my original Elvis costume. I have six items total that make up the costume, and I may add one or two more before tomorrow evening. If you don’t come to the pub crawl, you are going to be missing out on an epic event.
After I took my new costume home, I had one more stop to make: Family Dollar, where I picked up some canned tuna, chicken, and vegetables to donate as part of the food drive tomorrow night.
The pub crawl starts at 7:30 PM at the Flying Saucer. Stops through the evening will include the Blind Bear, Silky O’Sullivan’s, and Purple Haze. It’s free to participate and you don’t have to dress up, although you are certainly encouraged to.
I didn’t feel like walking down and snapping a pic of the Silly Goose sign, so here’s a pic of a live goose. The sign isn’t that different.
Welcome to the first installment of Paul’s PBR Review, a side series on this blog that will explore the best places in Memphis to get a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon (or “PBR” as many locals call it). Although PBR has picked up a reputation as being something of a “hipster beer” the past ten or so years, you don’t have to be a hipster to enjoy it. Many, myself included, feel that it is the most flavorful of the common domestic beers. As a bonus, it’s often one of the most inexpensive too.
SIDE NOTE: These PBR Review posts will be in addition to my regular Downtown news posts, not a replacement for them. I’ve already made a Friday news post today, so scroll down if you haven’t seen it yet.
I’m starting off this series with one of Downtown’s most beloved bars, the Silly Goose. I selected the Silly Goose for my first place to review, because it has PBR two different ways: You can buy it in a 16-ounce can, or a 16-ounce draft. PBR is one of only three beers on draft at the Goose, the other two being local Ghost River beers. They also have a selection of domestic, craft, and import beers in bottles. I don’t believe they have any non-alcoholic beers. They also have one of the largest selections of liquor in Downtown Memphis.
The Silly Goose was opened in 2009 by bar veteran Daniel Masters. Although at first the place was positioned as a locals’ hangout, it has evolved into a swanky lounge, proving that PBR is not too low-brow for the lounge scene. The Goose has comfy lounge furniture inside and out. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights DJ Cody provides the music, and the place gets packed.
SIDE NOTE: Daniel used to be the bartender at another of my favorite bars, Dan McGuinness Downtown, which unfortunately has closed. McGuinness didn’t serve PBR but I went there anyway because I like Daniel. Well, that and the Saucer girls went there after they got off work.
Although PBR has been around in one form or another since the Silly Goose opened (except for those three days when they ran out…grrrrr), the draft beer is a recent addition. It was brought on in spring 2013 because it was known that the Foursquare “mayor” at the time liked PBR draft. Prices are among the cheapest Downtown, $2 a pint at the time of this post. During happy hour the price drops to $1.50.
If you get the PBR in a can, you can ask for it to be made as a “PBRtini.” This cocktail consists of PBR, poured out of a can, into a glass. I will have more to say about PBRtinis at a later date. As you can see in the photo posted here, they even have ways to keep your beer chilled for you, which is important because a martini glass holds about 5 ounces, whereas the PBR cans sold at the Goose are 16 ounces in size.
SIDE NOTE: The Silly Goose has a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar on Sundays. That really doesn’t have anything to do with PBR but I thought I would mention it anyway.
There are various foods you can pair with your PBR at the Silly Goose. One of my favorite combinations is filet cooked “on the stone” and a PBR. They bring out a 700-degree stone to your table and you cook the meat on it yourself, seasoning it to your heart’s content. I have found that the PBR really brings out the flavor of the meat well. The PBR also pairs nicely with the many pizzas sold at the Silly Goose.
SIDE NOTE: A fun thing to do at the Goose is to watch the panhandlers act like fake parking attendants on the Tri-State lot across the street.
On Monday nights, the Silly Goose has poker night. There are overlays to the lounge tables that have drink holders for your PBR. Truly they keep their PBR drinkers in mind at all times. The first-prize at poker is $50, which would buy 25 draft PBRs. The second place prize is $25, which would buy 12 and a half PBRs, 13 if you contribute a dollar of your own to make your total $26.
There’s also a foosball table. However, I never play because it’s hard to play foosball well while holding a PBR.
I hope you have enjoyed this first installment of Paul’s PBR Review. I will try to do this on at least a weekly basis. If you have not been to the Silly Goose, I hope you will give it a try. If you do, I think you will agree with me that it is a great place to drink a PBR.
2013 is the 40th anniversary of Elvis’ live performance Aloha from Hawaii. The show was seen by more than a billion people when it was broadcast in 1973. The Orpheum is showing a special, enhanced version tonight at 7:30. HD video, rarely-seen footage, and a performance by former members of JD Sumner and the Stamps Quartet (Bill Baize, Donnie Sumner, Ed Hill, Larry Strickland).
Runners: There’s still time to register for the Breakaway-Bardog 5K which happens Sunday morning. Run a 5 kilometer course Downtown starting and ending at locals’ bar Bardog Tavern. Last year the race and alley party that followed raised more than $30,000 for St. Jude, and Aldo and the Salty Dogs runners hope to up the stakes again this year. Registration details here.
Not a Downtown restaurant, but I have to quote this because it’s the stupidest Groupon intro I’ve ever read. Groupon for Flavors Indian Cuisine: “Though India and Indiana are roughly the same word, their cuisine offerings are worlds apart. Find out the difference two letters make with this Groupon.” REALLY, Groupon? I wonder if all their marketing people called in sick, so they hired a temp who took 10 years to earn a 4-year general studies degree to write that.
And now that has turned out two be the second-craziest thing I have read online this morning, after one of the Flyer’s Who’s Who on Twitter remarked that her cat has been baptized and she has not.
The theme at the Memphis Farmers Market tomorrow is Fire Up the Grill. There will be plenty of items sold at MFM tomorrow that you can throw on the grill, including fish, pork, chicken, beef, and veggies like eggplant and squash. There will be a presentation by L’Ecole Culinare at 9:30 AM on gluten-free recipes, and at 10:30 AM there will be a kids’ watermelon roll. Adoptions by Streetdog Foundation from 8 AM to 1 PM. Live music by Kris Acklen 8:00-9:30 AM; John Oeth 9:30-11 AM; Chrissy Owens 11 AM-12:30 PM. The market is in the Central Station Pavilion near Front and G.E. Patterson and is open from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. If you want the pick of the best stuff, do what the local chefs do and get there at 7.
Second day of vacation. This morning I had a great idea for a new costume to wear to the Stumblin’ Elvis Pub Crawl tomorrow night, so I’m about to head to Beale Street to do some shopping. The Saucer is in between Beale Street and home, so I’ll probably stop in for a beer on the way back.
First day of vacation. I stayed out until 1:30 last night, and from what I could tell I’m not missing much by not staying out that late most Wednesdays. Downtown has been swarmed this week, not only with Elvis fans but with students returning to college. They made it hard to get a beer at times, but at least there were some nice tube top dresses.
The St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird will make two appearances at Redbirds home games this weekend. He will be at AutoZone Park for the Friday game (7:05 first pitch) and Saturday (6:05). On Friday the first 3000 fans through the gate will get a special BBQ bobblehead, and there will be fireworks on Saturday.
Fredbird will also be on the patio of Aldo’s Pizza Pies between 4 and 5 PM Friday. He’ll pose for photos with kids, and there will be a swag and ticket giveaway.
The Corked Carrot has its new menu up. View it here.
Tonight is the season finale of the Peabody’s summer rooftop party series. Super T – the Tyrone Smith Revue will be the headline act. Cover is $15 and includes your first drink, along with a buffet of grilled cheese sandwiches, soft pretzels, and popcorn. Those in VIP will have a second buffet of beer brats, German-style potato salad, and cheese and crackers.
Time to highlight another Memphis startup I learned about Thursday night. You’ve seen me post about Foursquare, an app that lets me “check in” at venues and post photos of them. Well, a new business called Kids 360 is taking that check-in approach to help parents stay in better touch with their kids’ caregivers and know where their kids are at all times. Babysitters, grandparents, etc. will be able to check kids in with this app and post photos for the parents to see. In the future, the app may be able to predict where a child ought to be based on past checkins. Their website will be launching soon – as I explained in an earlier post, these businesses are midway through a 90-day startup boot camp right now – but in the meantime, you can sign up to be notified of updates. This Daily News article has more info on Kids 360 and some of the other startups.
I’lll wrap up this post with a pizza pic:
This is a Meatza from the Silly Goose. I had it last night because half of the $10 price goes to the Muscular Dystrophy Association if you get it or any other pizza at the Goose between now and August 21. If you’re not a meat-eater, try the white pizza. I’ve taken it home a couple of times after Monday night poker and it’s very good.
The candlelight vigil happens at Graceland tonight. Every Memphian should see this once, whether you’re a fan of Elvis or not. It will give you a new appreciation how revered he is around the world. If I had to list my top 5 favorite singers/bands, Elvis wouldn’t be among them, but all of the five I would name have said that Elvis was a major influence. Gotta respect that.
I have a lot of chores I want to get done during my time off, but my first order of business on vacation is going to be to put them off for a day. I’ll start off at the Flying Saucer when it opens at 11, then read all the restaurants’ lunch specials on Facebook and figure out where to eat.
The aggressive panhandlers are out in force for Elvis Week. If you are harassed, or if you see someone harassed by panhandlers, in the Downtown core you can call 281-9146 and the DMC’s Downtown Safety Patrol will respond on bike. They are usually there within minutes. I called the patrol on two panhandlers working in tandem (which is very illegal) outside the Flying Saucer last night, giving our Elvis Week visitors a bad impression of Downtown Memphis.
I posted that number to Facebook as well. A friend of mine told me that a panhandler tried to intimidate her near Main and Madison where she was trying to put her son in a car seat. Her son wouldn’t stop screaming because he was so scared. If you have to intimidate a mother and toddler when they are alone to get money, you are the SCUM OF THE EARTH. By the way, these aggressive panhandlers are almost never homeless or hungry; they are looking for money for booze or drugs. Don’t give these bums money, and call the safety patrol if needed. The patrol’s boundaries are approximately the civic center plaza to MLK Ave. (formerly Linden), and from Front to Third.
Enough about bums. Let’s get on to the GOOD news…
For every pizza sold through August 21, the Silly Goose will donate $5 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. If you haven’t tried their pizza, trust me, it’s very good.
The semifinals of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest kick off tonight at the Cannon Center. Details and ticket info here.
South of Beale will have a “Barks & Brews” party on the patio Sunday afternoon from 2 to 5. Adoptable pups will be available, and you can bring your dog to the patio too. Sundays are pint nights at SOB and half of all the proceeds from draft beer sales will go to the charity Dog’s 2nd Chance. $3 regular draft beer, $4 high-gravity draft beer.
The Peabody’s last summer rooftop party is Thursday, but the hotel has announced its schedule for its fall rooftop party season.
September 12: Hollywood
September 26: Aquanet
October 17: Andy Childs
October 31: Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster
Dishcrawl is bringing Battledish Memphis to Downtown Memphis on October 5 from 2 to 6 PM. Six Downtown chefs will compete in this international culinary competition spanning 125 cities. More info and tickets here.
Beware of fake LinkedIn requests. I’ve received a few from people I don’t know the past few days, and when I moused over the Accept button I discovered a link to a .ru (Russia) site rather than linkedin.com. That site almost certainly will install malware on your computer. Be careful!
Time to spotlight another startup business that I learned about Tuesday night. DigiArtTrade leases and trades artworks to businesses and corporations. You can swap out art to keep things fresh, the entrepreneur told me, and she said you can even visualize what the art will look like on your wall before you lease it. The company is still in its beginning stages so the website doesn’t have a whole lot on it, but DigiArtTrade’s Tumblr is really good and there’s a place on LaunchRock where you can sign up for updates. You can also follow the business on Twitter at @digiarttrade.
Five day weekend begins at 4:45 PM today! I’ll be out at the bars at 5:30, probably leading off at the Silly Goose. Maybe I’ll get a pizza and support MDA.
