Sat update: Big Chisca news, Halloween parties, make a keg out of a pumpkin

This was going to be an all-Halloween party post, but I have to lead off with something else because it’s HUGE NEWS that is great for Downtown Memphis. As of yesterday, the Chisca Hotel is no longer owned by COGIC. The investor group that plans to renovate the hotel into apartments and retail is the new official owner. There will be a celebration at the Chisca at 2 PM today. CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to the investors, the Downtown Memphis Commission, and everyone else involved with preserving this historic hotel where “That’s All Right Mama” was first played.

So, in a span of two days, we’ve ensured the Grizzlies will be in Memphis for the long haul and saved the Chisca. I’d say this has been a pretty good week for Downtown Memphis.

The Halloween party weekend Downtown continues tonight. Probably the biggest and best of the parties is at the Flying Saucer. They are having a Dead Rock Star Ball. The party starts at 8, and you can buy a beer from their Mystery Beer Tub for only $2. Whatever you pull out of the tub, you have to drink! At 9:30 Red Letter Day takes the stage – that’s right, for this special occasion they’re bringing live music back. For the first time I can remember, there is NO COVER for anyone. Previously, you got in free to the Saucer’s Halloween parties if you showed your U.F.O. Club card. This year, you don’t need to show anything other than an ID to the doorman, and you’re in.

You don’t have to follow the dead rock star theme, but if you do, your chances of winning a prize in their costume contest will be better. They’ll do the contests while the band is on break, and will be giving away $500 in cash and prizes. 75 beers on tap, another 125 in bottles, beer flights, beer mixers, pool, darts, the Beer Goddesses dressed up in costume. Of the parties going on tonight, the Saucer is my top pick.

The Silly Goose will have the first of two Halloween parties tonight. Their Saturday party will feature a costume contest where you can win Goose cash. DJ Cody will provide the music. There will be another Goose party on Wednesday that will be more Fireball-centric, for those who are a fan of the cinnamon whisky.

Also, I don’t know exactly what’s happening at the Brass Door, but I see they pulled a permit to have a party in the alley tonight.

If you’re hosting a house party of your own tonight or Wednesday for Halloween, here’s a video that shows you how to make a keg out of a pumpkin.

About to head to South Main to watch the Hogs play the South’s biggest embarrassment, Ole Miss. No cover at Max’s Sports Bar. Best plan is to come from the east to get in quickly. Kickoff is 11:21.

Pink Pig fleeces @ Shelton Clothiers

I just returned home from Shelton Clothiers, where I purchased two limited-edition Pink Pig fleece zip-up jackets.

The jackets are available in Tiger blue, cream, and (not pictured) charcoal. Tom says they’ve been very popular and he plans on reordering soon. “There are a ton of colors so I’ll probably order different ones each time,” he said. “I may reorder the blue because of the Tigers.”

They are medium-weight, and probably could be worn down to about 40-45 over a shirt and provide enough warmth. If I wore one of my windbreaker shirts underneath them I could probably even go as low as 35.

They are selling FAST so if you want one, I suggest getting by the store early tomorrow. They’re $75 each, but until the end of October Shelton is running a buy one, get one half off promotion for which the fleeces are eligible.

Time to change into my 1920s gangster costume and hit the Blind Bear for their Halloween party. I’ll probably get there before 9. Of course, it goes without saying that I’ll pre-game at the Saucer for a few beers. Come on out to the Bear and party ’20s style!

Fri update: Blind Bear and other Halloween parties, Bardog expanding brunch/hiring brunch manager, Main-to-Main project, Barnyard Ball auction and more

The Halloween party season is now in full swing. Did you know that in the 1920s, Halloween was mainly for adults? It wasn’t until the 1940s that it became all about kids and trick-or-treating. So, come to the Blind Bear tonight and celebrate Halloween like it’s 1920 tonight. Jeremy Shrader, Pat Fusco, Sean Murphy and John Bass will play the sounds of the South from the Prohibition Era from 10:30 PM to 1:30 AM. There will be drink, shot, and food specials.

You don’t have to be dressed in 1920s attire, but if you are, you can get a ’20s-style photo taken by Joey Miller. He’ll be there at 10. Party starts at 8 and lasts until close at 3. The staff will be dressed to the nines in ’20s attire and I will be too. There are several parties and events going on tonight – which I will cover shortly – but the Bear is my top pick.

It’s the last Friday in October, which means it’s Trolley Tour night down in South Main. A good plan would be to bring the kids to the area by the fire station, where there will be face painting, balloon art, and popcorn and cotton candy vendors starting at 6 PM. A better plan would be to leave the f***ing kids at home and go drink at one of the area’s fine watering holes like Max’s Sports Bar or the Double J. Costumes at Trolley Tour are encouraged. Many of the shops and galleries will be open, and some will be serving beer, wine, and appetizers. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

If you want to remain in South Main after Trolley Tour ends at 9, my recommendation would be to go listen to Reba Russell. She’ll be on the Front Porch stage at the Double J from 9 to 1.

If the Pinch is your preferred area of Downtown, TJ Mulligan’s is having their Halloween party tonight. Music by the Coons Rhythm Rockers, drink specials and prizes.

Bardog Tavern is looking to expand their Saturday and Sunday brunch. As of now they only have the upstairs open, but they want to expand and open the downstairs seating area too. To do this, they need to hire a Brunch Manager. Hours will be 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. If you are interested in this position hit up Aldo @bardogtavern on Twitter or go in and see him.

Great move on their part expanding the brunch. Seems like every Saturday I sit at the bar with John D, and the place fills up and they have to turn away customers. Soon more people will be able to enjoy that delicious lobster sandwich.

The Daily News has a good article on the public meeting this week about the Main-to-Main connector. Grant money will be used to improve Main Street and convert the Harahan bridge into a pedestrian walkway. The article has lots of good info on time frames and on what grant money can be used for what part of the project. It’s pretty complex and will be ongoing for several years.

The Memphis Farmers Market posted a pic of the case of Jack Daniels Honey Tennessee Whiskey that they will auction off at the “Barnyard Ball” harvest celebration Sunday, November 4. Not too late to get tickets!

Haha… a Facebook discussion last night led to someone getting a new nickname: “Flavorable Flav.” Apologies if my Central BBQ review didn’t contain enough non-words, 60-word sentences, overuse of for as a conjunction, and random “words” in quotes for no apparent reason. I apologize also for my proper subject-verb agreement and my understanding of singular vs. plural in the Central post. Maybe someone else can review Central and compare how their food holds up to the BBQ that’s been sitting under the heat lamp all day at the Mapco Food Mart on Chelsea.

Plans for tonight: First of all, I have to stop by Shelton Clothiers and pick up a couple of Pink Pig fleece jackets that they have on hold for me. Buy an item, get a second half-off sale through the end of October – sweet! After I get home I’ll change into the gangster costume, hit the Saucer for a couple of warm-up beers, then wander over to the big party. Come join me at the Bear and we’ll party 1920s style!

Smoked turkey plate and homemade chips with blue cheese @ Central BBQ

Last night I made my first stop at Central BBQ’s new Downtown location. It’s a huge space at the corner of Butler and St. Martin, cat-a-corner from the National Civil Rights Museum.

I walked in, and immediately noticed how upbeat everyone was. The kitchen staff was joking around. “We have 13 orders for sausage and cheese plates! We have 16 orders for sausage and cheese plates! We have 22 orders for sausage and cheese plates!” Clearly they were having a good time. At the front counter, the cashier was talking to people who were visiting a Central location for the first time. “We are all about the pig,” the cashier said. “That’s why we put it on our logo.”

Central may be all about the pig (much as I am all about the tube tops), but I wanted to try something else. I’ve had Central’s BBQ pork sandwich at their Midtown location and at festivals. Now that Central is my neighborhood restaurant, I was determined to branch out. I ordered the hand-made chips and blue cheese for a starter.

Easily enough for three people to share, this app is a large plate of Central’s potato chips, made in house. The chips are tasty enough on their own that they really don’t need dip; but the blue cheese, sprinkled with Central’s dry rub, is irresistible…. so much so that I forgot to take a pic of my plate before I’d already dipped a couple of chips.

Some of my south Main friends have been eating at Central nearly every day since it opened. “The pork and ribs are good, obviously,” they told me. “But what you really need to try are the beef brisket plate or the smoked turkey plate.” I’ve never had turkey prepared by a Memphis BBQ joint, so I decided to give it a shot. The plate comes with a roll and two sides. I could have picked the standard BBQ sides of slaw and BBQ beans, but since I don’t get enough green vegetables in my diet I decided to order greens and green beans instead.

WOW they were quick. By the time I’d filled my drink cup (with MOUNTAIN DEW!!!!!) and made a trip to the restroom, a server was calling “TWENTY-FOUR!” and holding my chip & dip plate. Less than two minutes later, my main entree arrived. Central has quick service down to a science.

The turkey is rubbed in Central’s dry rub, marinated, and smoked. I was given my choice of mild or hot BBQ sauce to top my turkey, and I requested hot. It was AMAZING. If I had to list the top 10 meals I’ve had in my almost 11 years Downtown, this turkey plate would be among them for sure. It was that good. My sides of green beans and greens were a nice complement to the turkey, as was the chips & blue cheese plate that I had just started working on. It was more food than I needed, and a higher tab ($16.63 after tax) than I generally plan on having at Central. For a first-time visit, though, I didn’t mind.

If you want to try Central’s different BBQ sauces, they have a self-serve station at the back by the drink machine. Although I drank Mountain Dew because I wanted to wake up a bit for my poker game, Central has 10 beers on draft as well as beer in bottles.

The only problem with my meal was self-inflicted. As I ate my turkey, I surfed Facebook on my phone to kill time until my 8:30 poker game at the Double J down the street. I happened upon a post about the game… and the start time had been moved to 8:00! I looked at the clock on my phone. 7:58. Uh oh! I hated to do it but I had to leave the last third of my turkey. The good thing about Central is that you pay when you get there, so you don’t have to spend extra minutes finding your waitress, getting your check, and paying at the end. Again, I really appreciate the effort Central makes to get customers in and out quickly.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it may be a while before I try anything at Central that comes from a pig. I cannot wait to have this turkey again. I also cannot wait to try the brisket plate, and see if holds up to the high praise my South Main friends gave it (the turkey sure did). Then I want to try the chicken wings. I had them at the Midtown location a couple of years ago and they were great. I got them with Central’s hot dry rub and my friends had a good laugh as more of the rub ended up on my shirt and pants than on the wings.

If you’ve never considered ordering turkey from a BBQ restaurant, give Central’s plate a try. You will not be disappointed.

Thur update: Kooky Canuck Halloween party, Bloody Mary contest winners, Rendezvous BBQ @ FedExForum, Bear specials, Colin Powell endorses Obama, Iron Sheik on Mitt Romney, Max’s outside the festival boundary this weekend, and more

BREAKING NEWS: The NBA owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Grizzlies to Robert Pera’s group.

Tonight is the start of Downtown’s Halloween party season. Kooky Canuck kicks it off tonight from 8 PM to 3 AM. There will be $2 Kamikazes, $3 34 oz. Bud Light, $4 Jager Bombs, and $4 Vodka Red Bull. Bobby Smith will DJ and the Jagermeister and Bud Girls will be there. There will be a costume contest with $400 cash to the winner, and $200 and $100 gift cards to second and third place. No cover, 21 and up.

Jennifer Biggs reports on a statewide Bloody Mary contest in her Whining and Dining blog. The contest was sponsored by Absolut. All five winners were Memphis restaurants, and four of the five were Downtown Memphis restaurants. Congratulations to Automatic Slim’s, Majestic Grille, Silly Goose, and Bluefin for representing Downtown well! Also congrats to the Bayou on their first-place win.

The MBJ reports that Rendezvous BBQ will be on sale at the FedExForum for Grizzlies games beginning with the regular-season opener November 5. Previously Neely’s had the contract, but pulled out when they recently closed all their locations for renovation.

Speaking of the Grizzlies, the Blind Bear will offer apps for half price, $2.50 selected bottled dometics, and $5 chili cheese Bear Dawgs from one hour prior to the start of all games to game’s end. These specials apply to Tigers games as well.

Political news: Colin Powell endorses Obama. He notes that moderate Republicans like himself, those who push conservative values but realize compromise is necessary at the end of the day, are a dying breed.

In other political news, former WWF champion The Iron Sheik weighed in on the subject of Mitt Romney this morning on Twitter: “for christmas the Mitt Romney either get raped by dead dog or have sex with the big bird. no matter what he dumb son of a bitch.” If I ever get hired as news director by a national cable network, the first thing I will do is give Sheikie baby a job as political commentator.

Last night I had an absolutely fantastic dinner at Central BBQ, which I’ll write about in a separate post. Then I went to Double J for Muruako’s poker game. I got stuck at a table where people were going all-in pre-flop on a lot of hands, sometimes without even looking at their cards. I hate that. At least after I got knocked out I got to catch up with some of the South Mainers at the bar.

One thing I asked them was, “Why haven’t I heard about any Halloween parties this weekend at South Main bars?” The answer should have been obvious – they’ll have their hands full with RiverArtsFest. Makes sense. They don’t need to do anything special to attract tons of people.

By the way – I’ve confirmed that Max’s Sports Bar will be outside the fenced-in area of the festival. That means you won’t have to pay the fest’s $5 admission fee if you just want to go to Max’s to watch football. Excellent, because I plan to be there Saturday, to watch the Ole Miss douchebags stink up my home town of Little Rock for a game at War Memorial Stadium. I feel sorry for Little Rock residents who have to deal with them. Ole Miss has the most obnoxious fans in college football, even worse than the Vols. Anyway, come watch the game with me at Max’s and hang out with Ciara and Ranee. Kickoff is 11:21. Take Mulberry to get there while dodging the festival. Mulberry is the street to the east of Main, on which the Civil Rights Museum is located.

Back after work with the Central BBQ post.

Wed update: I’ll be in South Main tonight for poker, 11 burgers, All Pink Party, Main Street improvement meeting, World Series watch party, Pink Pig fleece, tube top news, Flying Saucer improves trivia night

Tonight I’m going to try something different on a Wednesday night. I’m going to head south to the Loft Bar at the Double J for poker night with Muruako at 8:30. Usually I do trivia on Wednesdays, but I’ve been promising myself that one of these Wednesdays, I’d take the night off and go play at the J. This is the night! Muruako hosts Monday poker at the Silly Goose which I play regularly, so I know it will be a fun game down south. South Mainers: Come out and play!

Hmmm… you know what’s not far from Double J? Central BBQ. Maybe I’ll head south an hour early. I’ve had their wings and pulled pork, but I’ve heard I really need to try their brisket plate and their turkey plate.

Now that Best Memphis Burger Fest is over, Seth is back on the Best Memphis Burger blog making up for lost time. His post this morning covered 11 burgers.

The All Pink Party is tonight at the Silly Goose. Liquor & wine tasting, new appetizer tasting, entry into drawing for prizes all included in your ticket cost of $25. Details here. Party is at 8:30.

Also tonight, there’s a public meeting for people interested in learning more about Main Street infrastructure improvements. There’s a $30 million grant to improve Main Street and make a pedestrian path to Arkansas across the Harahan railroad bridge. Meeting is at One Commerce Square, southeast corner of Main and Monroe, from 5:30 to 6:30 in the basement auditorium. More info here.

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 25 is AutoZone Park’s annual World Series game watch party. They’ll have Game 2 on inside the club level and on their new video board. Free to watch, and you can purchase a food buffet for $7 in advance, $10 (cash only) at the door. Beer and wine will be available for purchase as well.

Shelton Clothiers has fleece Pink Pig jackets for sale in charcoal, cream, and Tiger blue. WANT. Coming to see you soon Tom.

Tube top news: Now that’s she’s had the baby, Snooki is showing everyone that she’s back in shape by wearing a tube top. Details here.

Last night I was in the Flying Saucer when their trivia night started. I didn’t play but I notice they’ve improved it significantly. They now have the questions on both big screens, inside at the bar and outside in the Garden. So you can sit anywhere you want now and still be able to play. They’ve improved their sound system too.

That’s all for now. Hope to see you at the Double J tonight.

Tue update: Halloween party Sat @ Saucer, Halloween party Fri @ Mulligan’s, sushi @ Yao’s, trivia change @ Beetle, poker hand gone wrong, updated Downtown Dining Week menus

I have updated information about a couple of Halloween parties happening Downtown this weekend. First of all, the Flying Saucer is bringing back live music for their party on Saturday, October 27.

Red Letter Day will perform from 9:30 to 1:30. When the band is on break, there will be costume contests where you can win prizes. Theme is “Dead Rock Star” so you might do better in the contests if your costume is along those lines. There is also a Mystery Beer Tub they usually put out around 8:00. For $2 you get to reach in a covered tub, and whatever beer you pull out, you drink. In past years, I have pulled out several beers normally selling for $8-10 in a row. Quality stuff like Wychewood Hobgoblin. Of course, I’ve also been stuck drinking a Lowenbrau or two. Nevertheless, Mystery Beer Tub is one of my favorite promotions of the year.

Also, there will be NO COVER for the Flying Saucer Halloween party. If you don’t feel like paying cover charges at other nightspots nearby, come to the Saucer and hear live music for free.

The night before, Friday, October 26, TJ Mulligan’s Pinch will have their Halloween party. Drink specials, prizes, music by Coons Rhythm Rockers. I won’t make it to this one because I’ll be at the Blind Bear party, but if you live in Uptown or on the island it’s something nearby.

By the way – I’ve upgraded my costume for the Bear party. Much better gangster outfit this time. That cheap, wrinkly $20 jacket I had on at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre party has made its way to the garbage can. Maybe I’ll get my photo re-taken. They’ll have a professional photographer there if you want to get your gangster or flapper pic on their dining room wall.

As I was walking to the bars last night, I noticed a new sign under the “OPEN” sign at Yao’s China Bistro. It read “sushi.” Has anyone had it yet? Is it good? Now we have five places you can get sushi Downtown: Yao’s, Bluefin, Thai Bistro, Bangkok Alley, and the restaurant in the Holiday Inn on Union.

Kevin Cerrito, who runs Thursday trivia at the Green Beetle, has announced a change of format. They are dropping the sports format and doing general trivia questions from now on. They will have a special Halloween edition this Thursday at 8 and Kevin will announce more details about the new trivia night at that time.

I played poker at the Silly Goose last night and got eliminated in a mere 15 minutes. On my poker blog I take a look at the hand that cost me most of my chips.

More Downtown Dining Week menus have been released. Kerry has the list. Comments on the updated list:

1) Venison at Bleu for $20.12? I’d be all over that.

2) ATTN SARAH N: Chicken Curry is the entree at Brass Door!!!

That’ll wrap it up for this post. Halloween shopping is all done, so probably back on regular schedule tomorrow.

How to get into RiverArtsFest for free

Just a quick news update about RiverArtsFest, the arts festival Friday-Sunday in the South Main neighborhood. They’re charging an admission fee for the first time ever – $5. I’ve had a couple of people ask me, “What if I just want to frequent one of the businesses in the area? For example, what if I want to just hang out at Max’s Sports Bar all day and watch football, and I don’t care about the festival?”

Well, today the festival’s organizers posted a way around the fee on their Facebook page. If you ride the MATA trolley to the Butler Station trolley stop and get off there, you’ll be inside the festival without paying. Pretty cool deal.

All right, I’ve got to go Halloween costume shopping again so this needs to be a short post. Coming soon: News about a couple of Halloween parties, a trivia night, sushi, a poker hand disaster, and possibly more.

Mon update: Yo-Yo Ma tonight, Sex Trivia, Poker @ Silly Goose and other happenings tonight, Revive sale, R. Kelly, Grizzlies luncheon, win Anthony Bourdain tickets

Sorry there was no Monday update post at lunch, but I needed my entire lunch hour to go Halloween costume shopping. It was a partial success. The good news is, I upgraded my gangster costume, so I have something to wear to the Blind Bear party on the 26th. I have an idea for another costume to wear to the Saucer (27th), Goose (31st), and a private party on the 2nd. Right now it’s a work in progress. I may have to go costume shopping again tomorrow at lunch.

Yo-Yo Ma performs tonight at the Cannon Center with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 to 9:30. Find out what he will be playing here.

This isn’t a Downtown event, but how can I not blog this… the Slider Inn is having Sex Trivia tonight from 8 to 11.

Stuff that is going on Downtown tonight: Poker with Muruako at the Silly Goose, 8:30; Pint Nite with Josh and Maddison at Aldo’s Pizza Pies, 5 to close; Pint Nite with the Beer Goddesses at the Flying Saucer, open to close.

Revive, the women’s clothing boutique at the northwest corner of Second and Union in One Commerce Square, is having a big sale. Why not stop in and pick up some tube tops so you’ll be ready for next spring? Then again, with highs in the 80s this week, why not stop in and pick up a tube top to wear NOW???

R. Kelly will bring his “Single Ladies” tour to the Orpheum tomorrow night at 7:30. Four-time Grammy nominee Tamia will open for him. More details and ticket info here.

The Grizzlies will host their annual Tip-Off Luncheon next Monday at the FedExForum, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Attendees will get to welcome back the players, get coaching tips from Coach Hollins, and learn about the business of basketball from GM Chris Wallace. Individual tickets are $60 and tables are $500. For $2000 you can purchase a table where you’ll be seated with a Grizzlies player or coach. Proceeds benefit the Memphis Grizzlies House at St. Jude. Details and ticket info here.

The Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog is giving away tickets to Anthony Bourdain’s November 2 show at the Orpheum. Details on how to enter here.

Time for beer. First stop, Saucer. Currently unsure whether I will make it to poker tonight at the Goose.

Sun update: All Pink Party @ Goose Wed, Tom Lee Park sinkhole, Okra Masala @ City Market and more

There’s going to be an “All Pink Party” this Wednesday night, October 24, at the Silly Goose. Included in ticket purchase is a complimentary tasting of new appetizer menu items, a liquor and wine tasting, and a chance to win one of several items to be raffled off. Recommended attire is pink dress attire. 8:30-10 PM. For more info check the party’s event listing on Facebook.

A sinkhole has sprung up in Tom Lee Park, and repairing it will require more effort than first thought. Water has washed away a large area around a box culvert that runs underneath the park. The city will have to build a temporary road in the park to bring in materials to repair the hole. Thank goodness this didn’t happen in the weeks before BBQ Fest. More details here. Sorry for linking to an Indiana newspaper rather than something local, but I try to circumvent the CA’s stupid-ass paywall whenever I can.

I tried something new at City Market yesterday: Okra Masala from their refrigerated case. It’s a generous amount of okra and potatoes in Indian masala curry sauce. It’s only $2.99. If you’re not sure whether you like Indian food, it’s a good way to find out without spending a lot of money. Heats up in about 2 minutes in the microwave. If you like it, their meat dishes have a similar taste and are less expensive than going out to a restaurant.

Last night while drinking beer at the Saucer, I came up for an idea for a charity month for my blog, to run from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I need to research a few things but details will be coming soon. It’s an idea that has “me” written all over it (no, tube tops are not involved). Stay tuned.

Plans for today: Skipping brunch at the Majestic because of crowds from the Broadway show at the Orpheum. I’ll start at the Blind Bear at noon, then sometime around 2 head south to the parking lot party at the Double J. At 6:30 I’ll be back at the Bear for poker hosted by Michael Bean – not only because I like playing poker, but because it’s an excuse not to stay at the J for karaoke. At some point I’ve got to fit in a visit to the Saucer for my 116th day in a row. Probably I’ll do that before poker.

Come on out to the Double J this afternoon. Eat, drink, be merry, and raise money for the Streetdog Foundation. I mean, what else are you going to do, hang out at the Horn Lake Chuck E. Cheese all day?