Paul Ryburn's Journal

Today will be the end of an era. This afternoon I will go to the Flying Saucer for Pint Nite, check in on Foursquare, and receive bonus points for 180 straight days at the Saucer. It’s my longest streak there ever.

There won’t be a 181st day though. The Saucer is closed all day tomorrow for Christmas. Unlike a certain DeSoto County suburbanite, I don’t believe in fake check-ins. If I’m not there, in the business as a customer, I don’t check in. The only exceptions are landmarks like Statue of Elvis that are not businesses.

The streak will live on in a sense, though. Because I will hit 180 days at the Saucer today, I will also hit 180 in the more generic Foursquare category of Bars. I will go out somewhere that’s open tomorrow night (we’ll get to that in a moment) and get my 181st consecutive day at Bars. That’s a streak that could easily reach 300 as long as I don’t get sick.

All right, let’s get on to Christmas openings and closings. I have more info than I did yesterday, although this is far from a complete list. In general, most restaurants will be closed tomorrow, unless they’re serving a special Christmas dinner. Most but not all bars open around 5 on Christmas.

Westy’s and Yao’s Mandarin House are two restaurants you can always count on being open for Christmas.

Blind Bear will be open regular hours for Christmas.

Bardog will open at 5 for Christmas.

Silly Goose will open at 5 for Christmas.

Brass Door will be open until 7 today (Christmas Eve) and will be closed for Christmas.

Flying Saucer will be open regular hours today and it’s Pint Nite. They will be closed all day tomorrow.

Huey’s will be closed all day for Christmas.

Kooky Canuck will be closed all day Christmas Eve and Christmas.

South of Beale will be closed today and will open at 5 for Christmas.

Central BBQ will be closed for Christmas.

Double J will be closed all day today and the loft bar will open at 5 tomorrow for Christmas.

Max’s Sports Bar will be open until 11 tonight and will be closed all day for Christmas.

That’s all I have. I’ll be out at Pint Nite at the Saucer mid-afternoon. There’s no poker at the Silly Goose tonight.

It looks like snow in Central Arkansas will keep me in Memphis on Tuesday, so I’m compiling a list of what will be open (and when, if opening late) and what will be closed Downtown. If you know of places that will be open or closed, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com, hit me up on Facebook, text me, whatever communication channel you prefer.

So far I know that the Blind Bear will have their usual Tuesday night poker game, so I’m assuming they’ll be open at their regular time (5 PM).

The Majestic Grille will be closed. The Flying Saucer will be closed all day Christmas, but because Christmas Eve is Pint Nite, they won’t be closing early on the 24th.

Feed me info and I’ll try to post an updated list tomorrow.

Two Sundays ago, memorial services were held for Woody A. Long at the Silly Goose. Woody was one of the mainstays at the bar, and was considered a beacon of wisdom and light by most everyone who goes there. Unfortunately, Woody was decapitated earlier this month, and we thought we had seen the last of him.

Friday was 12/21/12 and the world was predicted to end. It did not, but something unexpected happened at the Silly Goose’s Doomsday party… Woody rose from the dead. It’s a Festivus miracle! Or something like that.

Silly Goose poker host Muruako was unavailable for comment on this turn of events.

It’s a slow news weekend otherwise. Hence, no post yesterday. The only thing I have is this piece of pigeon news. Any Downtown blogger worth his salt has to do a pigeon post now and then.

Mellow but fun night last night. We had game night at a friend’s condo in Barton Flats. Afterward, my friends wanted to dance and we went to DJ Cody at the Goose, but then I remembered FreeWorld was playing next door at the Flying Saucer and I bounced over there. I arrived in time to catch their second and third sets and it was so good to see them on that stage again. If you missed them at the Saucer, they play Blues City tonight at 9:30, and every Sunday night.

Today is a Sunday Fun Day not followed by a Monday Suck Day, so I just might catch FreeWorld again tonight. Taking a week of from brunch at the Majestic, but I will kick it off at the Blind Bear at noon. Stops after that TBD.

Very good news on the Memphis Flyer website yesterday: Although Bass Pro’s plans remain fluid, they plan to have the Pyramid open in late 2013. They want to have it open in time for the holiday shopping season. They’re going to install an indoor swamp, so boat buyers can see how the boats feel on the water. There will be a restaurant inside, Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl. VERY EXCITING to know that we’re less than a year away from shopping at Bass Pro, after years and years of stagnation.

How sad is it that I’m already plotting to become “mayor” of Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl? There needs to be a support group for Foursquare addicts.

There’s a Doomsday party tonight at the Silly Goose beginning at 9 PM. Those of you who have been posting “the end of the world didn’t happen” on Facebook, remember that today isn’t over until 11:59 PM. It could still happen. In any event, this looks to be a rather interesting evening at the Goose. Yes, I have a little inside information.

Live music returns to the Flying Saucer tomorrow night, Saturday, December 22. FreeWorld will take the stage at 9:30. I’m happy to see the Saucer bringing back live music on a now-and-then basis, and FreeWorld is an excellent choice. This will surely draw a lot of people who are back in town for the holidays. There is NO COVER, whether you’re a member of the Saucer’s UFO Club or not, so come on down.

The Majestic Grille will wrap up its “Sunday Supper and a Movie” series with It’s a Wonderful Life this Sunday, December 23. Movie will be shown on the big screen at 7. Starting at 6:30, a special menu will be available for $26.95. This week’s menu: Antipasto with stuffed cherry peppers, warm grilled mushrooms, proscuitto & arugula; beef and three cheese lasagna; Caesar salad; rosemary focaccia bread; and apple strudel with cinnamon creme fraiche. If you’ve never had the Majestic’s focaccia bread, let me tell you it is one of the best breads I have ever had Downtown. The regular menu will be available as well if you’d prefer that.

Office closes at 3, which means I’ll be at the Saucer about 4. Plans after that TBD.

The Blind Bear’s 1-year anniversary party is tonight. Co-owner Jeannette messaged me the drink and food specials this morning:

$4 bday cake shots (3 olives cake)
$5 flappers
$5 spiffy Rita’s
$4 maestro dobel’s tequila shots
$1 PBR draft!!!!!!!!!
$3 orange whipped shots (pinnacle)
$5 Jameson shots
$3 moonshine
$3 fireball
$2 hamburgers & hot dogs
1/2 off apps

You know what drink I’m glad to not see appear on cocktail menus anymore? The “Flirtini.” What a stupid thing that was. But anyway, back to the Bear’s party. It starts at 9. There will be live music from Bean (with Rodney Phillips), Craig Davis, Back Road Syndicate, and more. There will be gift card giveaways, and photographer Joey Miller will be there. But most importantly, there will be $1 PBR draft!!!!!!!!!

It’s unfortunate that the Blind Bear’s “mayor” will be late to its party, but those are the breaks. I will be down the street at the Majestic Grille judging the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation costume contest and holiday tacky sweater contest. I get dinner and all the PBR I can drink as compensation for being a judge. Free PBR is better than dollar PBR, so I guess I’m not too unhappy about being late to the Bear.

Around the corner will be the Silly Goose’s 4th annual Naughty Santa party. The Dave Cousar Band will play holiday favorites, and Santa will be there.

Beer news: Memphis is getting its third craft brewery. Drew Barton plans to open Memphis Made Brewing Co. at 768 S. Cooper by mid-2013. Barton was formerly the head brewer at French Broad in North Carolina. He’s one of the organizers of the best beer festival in town, Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest, and he bartends part-time Downtown at the Saucer. First products to roll out will be an IPA and a Kolsch. Congrats to Drew, and I agree with him, Memphis can support far more than just three craft breweries.

If you hate wrapping gifts, bring them to Shelton Clothiers between noon and 4 PM Sunday, December 23. They will wrap up to 5 gifts for you, and all they ask is that you donate $3 per gift to the Union Mission to help feed the hungry. You can even leave your gifts with them, go eat brunch at one of several nearby restaurants, and then come back to pick them up.

That’ll do it for now. I’ll be at the Bear party as soon as I wrap up judging down the street. Good luck to all the Griswolds and tacky sweaters in the competition tonight.

The Grizzlies will be on national TV tonight. The Grizzlies host the Milwaukee Bucks at the FedExForum at 8:30, and the game will be televised on ESPN. If you’re attending the game live, the arena is advising fans to arrive a bit early because of heightened NBA-mandated security measures.

Bleu has released its New Year’s Eve menu. See it here. There are two options available: A four-course dinner for $65, or a four-course dinner with wine pairings for $80. Live entertainment, complimentary champagne toast, and party favors come with the dinner.

Tomorrow, December 20, at 4 PM the Redbirds will hold an interview via Twitter with St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and former Redbird Joe Kelly. Follow both @memphisredbirds and @Joe_Kelly_Jr to participate. If you have questions, tweet them to @memphisredbirds with the hashtag #twinterview. Topics expected to be discussed include the offseason, 2012 MLB playoffs, coach movement, and the farm system.

A new candle shop will open at 107 G.E. Patterson in the old Delphinium spot. The Memphis Business Journal has info here.

FuzzyBrew reports that beers from Brooklyn Brewery will be sold in Memphis beginning in February.

That’ll do it for now. Trying to decide whether to show up at Double J Loft Bar for poker tonight (8:00) or just stay in the core and find a place to watch the game.

I was in bed. I had a bad upset stomach this morning and had to leave work about 10:30 AM. I thought I had food poisoning at first but now I realize what happened. After I left Silly Goose poker last night, I walked up to Huey’s for a Texas Toast Burger to go. That thing is really good but it’s loaded with jalapenos and I hadn’t eaten anything all day except a bag of chips. I guess my body is telling me I need to stop doing that. If I remember reading correctly, it takes about 18 hours to completely digest food, so I think I should be OK now. I tell ya what, today was not a fun day, but I’d take an upset stomach for several hours over the flu for a week.

I really haven’t kept up with email and social media, so I really don’t know what all has been going on today. I’m going to post a few quick “Tuesday update” things from memory. If you emailed me or messaged me about an event, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow if you don’t see it here.

The big news today, and it is NOT good news, is that photo-sharing social network Instagram is changing its privacy policy. Instagram, and its parent company Facebook, have announced that starting January 16 they will claim the right to use any photo you upload to their site in advertising, without your permission. The only way to opt out is to delete your account, which I will absolutely be doing before the 16th if they don’t change their mind. Remember those fun pics you took with friends at Chili’s last month? They could end up in a local Chili’s ad. Even scarier, what if they use photos of your KIDS??? Which they can do as of 1/16.

By the way, how much will you make in royalties every time Instagram uses one of your photos? Zero. They won’t even notify you. There are Instagram alternatives for iOS and Android. I suggest you choose one in the next four weeks. I’ll try a few when I get to feeling better and make recommendations.

The Memphis Flyer has a good article about Thursday’s Clark Griswold Christmas dinner and a movie and costume contest at Majestic Grille. Excited about being a judge again. They are probably sold out but you could try calling 901-522-8555 and seeing if there’s a wait list.

If you like to go to Kevin Cerrito’s trivia nights, he will be doing holiday trivia tonight at Ferraro’s Pizzeria and Thursday at the Green Beetle. Start time for both games is 8 PM.

Last night was the final table of this fall’s poker league at the Silly Goose. Players have been earning points for the past 16 weeks, and the top 10 point-earners were invited to the final table to play for a grand prize. I was on the bubble, number 11 or 12 in points, so if people no-showed, it was possible that I would get a seat. Everyone arrived, though, and I was relegated to the side game with $50 and $25 weekly prizes.

I noticed that none of the people who make crazy all-in moves early on were playing the side game, and there were only 7 of us. I decided to care more than usual and slow down the PBR consumption, because I might win something. Sure enough, I hit a few hands and went a run all the way to heads-up. On the second hand, my opponent went all-in on the big blind. Holding pocket 7s, a call was automatic. She showed K-8 and I was ahead all the way to the river when a King fell. I was out and ended up with this:

My opponent got the first place gift certificate for $50 in Goose bucks. By the way, I like her all-in a lot. K-8 is strong enough to call or make a small raise heads-up, but she’d be out of position the rest of the hand. I’d get to see what she did first on the flop, turn, and river before I would have to act. By going all-in she took my position away and I was the one with a difficult decision, not her. Well played. This is the kind of strategy poker pro Annie Duke advocates to people learning the game.

The final table was down to the last players at this point, and host Muruako asked if I would snap a few pics of the players still in the game.

(I think Clay was still in at this point too but if I took a pic of him I can’t find it.)

Brian got his choice of a $250 Best Buy gift card, $250 toward a buy in toward a WSOP circuit event in Tunica, or Grizzlies-Lakers tickets.

There will be no Silly Goose poker the next two weeks because of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. A new league will start January 7.

Tonight is poker at Blind Bear at 8. One of the owners, Jeannette, told me a couple of days ago that the Bear will hold Tuesday poker Christmas night. Like last night’s side game, that could be easy pickings with a sparse field.

All right, I’ll be back at work tomorrow. Ironically, the one thing I have to eat in the apartment is the thing I’m supposed to eat when I’m sick: Chicken soup. I don’t want it though. Time to get out and go find something.

What a fun weekend in Downtown Memphis. I’ve already blogged about Friday and my good experience at Dancin’ Jimmy’s. Saturday I watched the Tiger game at the Saucer, then wandered up to Reindeer Games in Court Square. Reindeer Games was more of a kids’ event than I had thought, and since I’m not a big fan of kids I didn’t stay too long. I did, however, buy a jingle bell necklace which was my admission to the post-Reindeer Games pub crawl.

The four stops on the crawl were Local, Blind Bear, Green Beetle, and Double J, and I made it to all the stops except Local, Green Beetle, and Double J. And at the Bear I drank PBR rather than the discounted beer for crawlers. So I paid $5 to not go on a pub crawl. Oops. It was for a kids’ trip to DC though, so I didn’t mind.

So I was sitting at the bar at the Blind Bear with two guys who play poker there on Tuesday. Down the bar, a guy was arguing with the bartender that his beer had been poured out by mistake. Then this guy slid down to talk to us.

“I saw you earlier,” he said. “You were at one of those bars. I think it may have been Silly Goose. Yeah, you were in there and you had a shot of something.” (It was Fireball.) “Is that what you do, go to bars all day long and do shots and get drunk all day?” The guy was trying to make conversation, but he went about it the wrong way and made a very bad first impression.

Then the guy started talking to my two poker friends about the officiating in the Tiger game. It was clear that no matter their opinion, he was going to disagree. I decided I wanted nothing to do with the conversation and folded my arms and leaned back in my chair, trying to be invisible. The guy asked my opinion a couple of times and I said I had no opinion. “Do you ever smile?” he asked me. “What, are you ‘somebody’ Downtown? All I know is you have long hair.” Then he went back to arguing about the game. The funny thing is, I could tell the guy was just trying to get to know us, but clearly he did not write How to Win Friends and Influence People. Every statement out of his mouth was an accusation, a challenge, or a disagreement.

So anyway, I was about to get up and leave for a friend’s Festivus party down the street when my friend Chad and about 5 other people came in. I had forgot it was Chad’s birthday party. He had the back room reserved and invited me to join.

We had a fun time hanging out in the back room, watching the Grizzlies game. My friend Misty had on a backless top:

One of the other girls asked how Misty handled the fact that the top didn’t allow the wearer to wear a bra. “There are stickers involved,” said Misty.

About an hour later, I got a text from a friend wanting to go to Paula and Raiford’s Disco. That’s the kind of invitation I gladly accept, so I wished Chad a happy birthday and walked over. There was a huge line due to two weddings, but we finally got in.

We danced until about 2:30 AM. An excellent Saturday night. The fog machine riled up my allergies the next day, but it was worth it.

Sunday I went over to River Row, a condo building on Front Street. I had agreed to be the judge of their holiday balcony decorating contest. There were prizes for the top three including Grizzlies tickets, a $25 gift certificate, and a bottle of wine. The people in the condos knew exactly what to do to get me to be a judge:

The judging was supposed to happen at 5:15, but we had to wait 40 minutes for one of the entrants, a suburbanite who technically still holds an address at River Row but is hardly ever there. I was lenient about enforcing the “must be present to win” rule, because it allowed more time for me to drink PBR.

My next stop was the Flying Saucer. Once a year, they have an appreciation party for Beerknurds, members of their UFO Club. They put a buffet out for us.

The ham and potato casserole was particularly good. We also each got a free pint of Shiner Cheer, a Christmassy beer that sort of tastes like plum pudding.

After the Saucer party wrapped up, I made the Blind Bear my final stop of the evening. I found my friend Beth sitting at the bar, along with the suburbanite who had delayed the balcony contest. I snapped their pic.

(Edit: Never mind, suburbanite whined it was a bad pic of her, asked for it to be taken down)

One phenomenon you’ll notice Downtown in December is “guest bartenders and staff,” especially on Sunday. This allows bars to have a Christmas party and let all their staff attend. Last night we found guest bartender Terry (from Purple Haze) behind the bar at the Bear – not a bad substitute at all. Over at the poker table, Muruako who runs the Silly Goose game filled in, allowing usual host Michael Bean to enjoy the party.

A VERY fun weekend that reminded me why I love living Downtown so much.

The only news I have to report is that Shop Girl New York will have an open house Sunday, December 23 from 3 to 5 PM. Select merchandise will be 40% off that day, and there’s always a 50% off rack as well. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Poker league final table at the Silly Goose is tonight, for a $250 prize value. I am on the bubble for the final table, so if one of the people who qualified didn’t make it, I could still get in. If not, there will be a side game for the usual $50/$25 prizes at 8:30.