Paul Ryburn's Journal

Today’s Groupon is a good one: $10 for $20 worth of food at Lunchbox Eats. This little restaurant, on Fourth just south of Linden, has become one of my favorite places. My favorite is the Third Period Smoking Birds sandwich, which is like a turducken in a sandwich. Mac & cheese is good too, and I’m not normally a big fan of mac & cheese. They’re open on Saturdays now too, until 7 PM I think.

The Greater Memphis Chamber will unveil a free public Wi-Fi spot outside the Falls Building. Tomorrow at 4:30 PM they’ll turn it on and Grizz the mascot will be there to hand out some Grizzlies merchandise. More details here.

Normally I don’t give a flying rat’s ass what PETA thinks, but I do think it’s pretty cool that they named AutoZone Park one of the top 10 ballparks for vegetarians. Congratulations to the park for making sure all its guests can get a good meal.

Speaking of baseball, here’s a link to a pic of Randy “Macho Man” Savage as a Cardinal. I believe this would have been taken around 1973, when “Mach,” then known by his given name Randy Poffo, played in the minor-league system. He never made it big in baseball, so he gave wrestling a try. Georgia wrestler/booker Ole Anderson told him Poffo was not a good name for someone “who wrestled like a savage,” and a new name was born.

I sure hope I arrive home tonight to a fixed air conditioning unit. Haven’t slept well all weekend because of the lack of A/C. I’ll be at Saucer for Pint Nite, but if I have A/C I may skip poker at the Goose this week and catch up on quality sleep.

The Commercial Appeal reports that Pabst is moving its headquarters to Los Angeles. A lot of speculation is going on as to whether Pabst will be able to keep the blue-collar image of its portfolio of beers, and particularly its signature beer Pabst Blue Ribbon.

My opinion? I couldn’t care less where the HQ is, as long as my PBR is cold and cheap. PBR tastes better than Bud and it’s usually less expensive. In most cases I laugh at hipsters, but when it comes to beer preference they got it exactly right.

Insider tip: Go to Max’s Sports Bar and order a PBR from Michele. She pours beer better than anyone in the city.

The evening of Friday, May 27 is not only the beginning of a long 3-day Memorial Weekend, but it’s also Trolley Night on South Main. Many of the shops and galleries will be open from 6 to 9 PM, and many will put out beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres.

South Main is celebrating by throwing a carnival. Street performers, magicians, henna artists, sideshow acts, face painters, artisans, strolling musicians, yummy food! There will also be a cook-off as defending champion Ella Bella faces off against Gary G. in a Taster’s Choice contest. Taster’s Choice? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up to be a taster.

I haven’t got the official word yet, but the South Main Association usually grills out when the weather is nice, with burgers, dogs and Ghost River beer for SMA members.

The Trolley Night will also support the American Red Cross Mid-South Chapter to support victims of the recent flooding.

Okay, that concludes the “official” list of what’s going on at Trolley Night… but I’m adding one more “unofficial” event. I hereby announce that Trolley Night will be the kickoff party for Tube Top Month. Every year from the beginning of Memorial Day weekend to the end of Independence Day weekend, this blog conducts a month+ long celebration of the greatest fashion item ever, the tube top. Ladies, want to be on the blog? It’s easy. Wear a tube top to Trolley Night, come find me, and I’ll snap a photo.

The weather is almost always cooperative in May, so come on out for one of the best Trolley Nights of the year!

Based on reaction on Twitter tonight, I’m only supposed to blog/tweet about Memphis to say how good it is. Sorry, I didn’t know Kim Jong-il had been elected mayor.

I tell it like it is.

The Tigers made Memphis look awesome.

The Grizzlies made Memphis look even more awesome.

But not as awesome as the seniors at Booker T. Washington High did, even attracting a President’s attention.

Meanwhile, a food truck reality show came to town. And it sucked. They blogged/tweeted/posted they’d be out at noon. They were hours late, and then only lasted three hours selling full menu before they went veggie.

I refuse to promote them like everything went all right. They were horrible. But some people think I should blog nothing but good things, in the name of publicity for the city.

For those people, I say, move to North Korea and subscribe to Kim Jong-il’s press releases. You’ll like what you see.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue to tell it like it is.

They said yesterday they’d be set up today by noon.

It was 3 before we even saw a truck.

It was after 4:30 before they were selling.

I got in line at one truck at 7:15.

Good thing, because at 7:30, the host told them they could only sell vegetarian to keep it fair among the teams. So the team’s truck I was at was selling French fries for $15 with a side of uncooked meat for free.

FAIL.

This contest is bullshit. Get the fuck out of Memphis. I hope this does not turn out to be a reflection on the local food trucks.

If you want a classic example how to overpromise and underdeliver, look no farther than this weekend.

(Edit: Just to make it clear, I blame the show’s producers, not any individual team.)

Yesterday as I was walking down the Main Street Mall I saw this sign in the window of 51 S. Main:

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is coming to Downtown. I looked up the website and this is a chain, with over 600 locations. A number of restaurants, including Renee’s Sandwich Shop and Hari’s, have been unable to make this location work. A chain might be able to. For one thing, a chain can absorb the losses a new restaurant in this location will incur, as it will take a while to get “discovered.” Also, a chain is likely to have more marketing knowledge than owners of independent restaurants. Every restaurant that has previously been in that space was, in my opinion, poorly marketed.

Between Monroe and Union on the Main Street Mall, this location is far enough away from Gus’s to suffer from competition with them. Best of luck to the people opening the restaurant, and I’ll be by for some chicken soon.

Buck, the singing deer at Kooky Canuck, did so much partying on Cinco de Mayo that he lost an antler. Good thing he managed to hold on to his sombrero.

(Edited to add: I’d much rather hear Buck sing than the people who sing Saturday night karaoke at the Downtown Monkey.)

Everyone is saying that tomorrow will be The Rapture. Fine with me. In the religion I subscribe to, there’s only one sin, and that’s karaoke, so I’m good to go! Bring it!

Four food trucks are in town for the Food Network’s show The Great Food Truck Race. One of the trucks, the Hodge Podge Truck, was smart enough to establish connections with local bloggers. They’ll be selling prime rib tacos Saturday at Main and Peabody Place from 12 to 9. Let’s come out and support them and carry them to victory!

(By the way… after you eat your prime rib tacos, how about stopping at the bar at Majestic Grille for a drink. They’ve been one of the biggest supporters of food trucks in Memphis.)

Huge congratulations to Judy Peiser from the Center for Southern Folklore. She was honored by the Tennessee State Legislature on Wednesday. Resolution 243 honored her commitment to preserving the social history and music of the South, while striving to educate and inform the general public of its importance. It’s about time Judy got recognized for all she does. A very much deserved resolution!

Fellow Saturn owners: I learned some interesting information today. Right before GM shut it down, Saturn had a new model all ready to roll out. It didn’t make sense to just scrap the new car, so GM gave it to Buick and it became the Regal.

The Memphis Flyer is looking for a permanent part-time copy editor. 20 hours a week, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Only experienced/qualified people need apply. Email brucev@memphisflyer.com.

If you’re into rock climbing, BRIDGES is having one of its ClimBRIDGES events tonight where you can climb their rock wall. Details here.

How embarrassed I am to be a citizen of a state whose legislature enacts the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Seriously, why is time being wasted on this crap? We need to quit judging and quit sticking our nose in other people’s business. A Gallup poll that was just released shows that for the first time, a majority of Americans favor gay marriage. As America moves forward, Tennessee moves backward. Maybe Memphis, Chattanooga and Nashville should secede and form a new state. The rest of the state can then change its name to “Redneckville.” What’s next, a bill to re-introduce slavery?

Plans for tonight: Hell if I know. I’ll probably go out and drink a beer or something.

Tonight’s Peabody rooftop party will feature a “Big Easy” menu. (I was tempted to come up with a creative title connecting the word “easy” to some of the party’s attendees, but I guess I’ll behave.) Buffet (included in the price of admission) will include red beans and rice, mini mufalettas with olive tapenade, and jalapeno hushpuppies. Menu in VIP will include jambalaya, shrimp remoulade shooters, and mini fried oyster po’boys.

Entertainment will be provided by Party Planet. Three reasons to show up early: 1) The Memphis Flyer will hold a casting call for its Fall Fashion issue; 2) Budweiser will throw a Redbirds party; 3) if you don’t get there early, the Nuh-Uh Girl will eat all the food. $10 cover includes first drink, ladies free until 7, season VIP passes available for $75.

Meanwhile, over at the Madison, Don “The Boogie Man” McMinn will entertain at their “Sunset at the Madison” rooftop party. $7 to get in, with special tapas menu and cash bar available.

Don’t forget that it’s the Third Thursday party at Main and Peabody Place too. Restaurants will be grilling out, showing off their goods. Here are a couple of insider tips: 1) If Blue Fin is grilling out beef on a stick, just trust me, GET IT; and 2) Majestic Grille will have dollar tacos.

In other news: Interesting Mashable infographic about transparency vs. anonymity when interacting on the web. With a blog named “Paul Ryburn’s Journal” and a Twitter handle named @paulryburn, I’m sure it’s no surprise that I’m firmly on the side of transparency.

Excellent editorial by Memphis Flyer editor Bruce VanWyngarden: The Dark Ages have returned in Tennessee.

Shout-out to my buddy Zane whose boat will be the first to leave Cairo, IL tomorrow, after the Mississippi is re-opened.

Debating on plans for tonight: Third Thursday party, Buzztime poker tournament at Max’s Sports Bar, or something else? I’ll figure it out after work I guess.