Paul Ryburn's Journal

Happy Friday! I spent Thursday evening at Earnestine & Hazel’s, as I often do. A couple of pieces of news about the haunted dive bar:

• They plan on adding dart boards (I think they said 3) upstairs
• They were phasing out Lay’s potato chips and phasing in Brim’s, in order to support a local brand

I picked up a restaurant tip last night. If you like soul food at The Four Way, try The Rockin Chair at 1542 Elvis Presley. My friends think it’s even better and Uber Eats will deliver it Downtown.

The Milwaukee Bucks are hiring former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins.

There will be a moth party at River Garden Saturday evening. Say what?

Isn’t there a local drag queen called Moth Moth Moth? I wonder if she’ll be there.

Cooter in the news: A magnitude 4.0 quake struck the Missouri bootheel yesterday.

Lasr night’s BBQ on Beale community dinner was well attended.

Soul & Spirits’ annual Manes on Main party is set for Saturday, May 9. This event will celebrate lagers with limited beers and a special re-release. Good Groceries and Ritzie’s BBQ will be the food trucks on site.

Are there ANY Downtown teams competing in Beale Street Wine Race this Sunday? Other than Beale Street bars.

Today is Arbor Day.

Jasper Float Spa in The Washburn seeks a spa manager.

The Hyatt Centric seeks a director of finance and a food and beverage manager.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Willie Moore’s cafeteria on N. Main near Adams is now offering Willie’s Big Breakfast for $9.99 from 8 AM to noon. That includes

• 2 meats – choose from bacon, sausage, bologna, smoked sausage, turkey sausage
• 2 sides – choose from grits, hash browns, toast, pancakes, rice
• 2 eggs your way

Random thing I heard at the bar this week: In Yuma, Arizona they have huge jackrabbits that run around all over the place the way squirrels do here.

I finally got to try the Morphy, the new muffuletta pizza at Memphis Chess Club.

White sauce, mortadella, ham, pepperoni, green olive + pepper bruschetta, gruyere. The Carlsen is still my fav pizza at MCC, but the Morphy comes in a very close second. Will purchase again.

FORMER MATH TEACHER PRO TIP: Never get an 8″ pizza at MCC. Come hungry, or bring a friend, and get the 12″ instead. Let’s use the new pizza to illustrate why.

8″ MORPHY ($14)
Area = pi * radius squared
= 3.14 * 4 * 4
= 50.24
Price per square inch = 14 / 50.24
= about 28 cents

12″ MORPHY ($18)
Area = pi * radius squared
= 3.14 * 6 * 6
= 113.04
Price per square inch = 18 / 113.04
= about 16 cents

So the 12″ Morphy is nearly twice the value the 8″ is. The math is similar for the other MCC pizzas.

The Morphy, BTW, is named for 19th-century New Orleans chess player Paul Morphy.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the Grizzlies are unlikely to move to Nashville, although he would like to see them play some games there. LeBron James turned heel on Memphis earlier this month, suggesting a Grizz move to the country music capital.

A bomb threat cleared out Bass Pro at the Pyramid yesterday morning.

UK Parliament is considering legislation that would ban those born in 2009 or later from purchasing tobacco products FOR LIFE. King Charles is said to support the proposed act. I would be ALL IN for a law like that in the U.S.

Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. has declared for the NBA draft, where he is considered the number-6 prospect. Go get him, Grizzlies! Spend some future draft picks to trade up if necessary.

The 2026 NFL draft starts tonight with coverage on NFL Network, ESPN, and ABC.

Max’s Sports Bar has its final crawfish & shrimp boil of the season Saturday. Doors at 11 with the first batch out of the cooker at noon.

Front Street Deli now has scratch-made cheddar bread.

Follow Downtown’s new vintage store on Instagram at takos_secondhand.

Muddy’s Bake Shop is being sold to Belltower Coffee & Studio, which has a booth at Memphis Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Bardog rolled out a new happy hour menu last week. What’s on it?

• house-fried mozzarella with marinara
• sauteed & blackened Maryland crab claws
• hand-battered & fried firecracker shrimp
• Cremini mushroom pate on crostini with gorgonzola

5-7 PM weekdays with $1 off draft & domestic beers, wells, and house wine.

Yesterday I spent the night at the Union Mission, where I replaced the jorts with cargo shorts with lots of pockets. Tonight I’m gonna stay out and go see London and Tony at E&H.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

I gratefully accept tips: 
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Chess pie squares at Memphis Chess Club! They’re decadent!

Mike tells me the price may be going up soon, so get ’em for $5 while you can.

Hey, you know, that chess pie sample Mike gave me Saturday tasted familiar, despite being a new item. I just figured out why… the taste and texture were similar to the gooey butter cake that is often a dessert special at Bardog.

Brunch menu starting Sunday at Kuya. They’ll be serving some of their dinner menu too. 11:00 AM-2:30 PM. MIMOSAS!

I mentioned watching classic 1983 Price Is Right Sunday at Loflin Yard. Barker’s Beauties have Wikipedia pages:

• Dian Parkinson
• Janice Pennington
• Holly Hallstrom

Pretty cool: 3D, real-time tracker of all the satellites orbiting Earth

Alabama Shakes play Grind City Amp tonight.

DJ Lyelack provides the music at Hump Day Hangout 6-9 tonight and every Wednesday at the Moxy Hotel. Drink and food specials.

Movie nights are back on Wednesdays at Slider Inn Downtown. 7 PM. Tonight it’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.

There’s a pharmacy residents conference at the Renasant Convention Center Thursday and Friday.

Elevation Memphis headlines Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party. 6-10 PM, $15 to get in, $40 VIP.

There will be a benefit for Beale Street Caravan Thursday night at 126 Beale (former Hard Rock). Live local music, Old Dominick cocktails.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Last week I took some days off from posting, with a vague explanation about upgrading equipment.

I’m now ready to explain that in detail.

I GOT A NEW CHROMEBOOK!!!

Well, not “new,” technically. It’s a refurb. But in my experience, refurbs often turn out to be better than new.

Never mind the technical details – let me share some of the BENEFITS of this new device as compared to my old HP laptop.

• The VERY FIRST THING I did was go to settings and turn off trackpad-tap-to-cliick. Goodbye 5 accidental mouse clicks per sentence I type.
• No more backaches lugging around a nearly 10-pound laptop. The Chromebook weighs about 3 pounds.
• Unlike the old laptop, the Chromebook has a WORKING battery. So I can sit in any seat I want in Memphis Chess Club, not just seats next to a power outlet.
• And that battery lasts 8-11 hours. On nights I don’t spend at the Union Mission, weather permitting, I stay up on a park bench on the Main Street Mall and write. (and some nights I see The Ratter!)
• The mouse pointer doesn’t randomly jump around from place to place.

In short, this little Chromebook has affected my quality of life in SUCH a positive way!

You know, as a homeless person, I’m not supposed to be happy. But I AM. Against all odds.

Sure, there are times when I’m TEMPORARILY unhappy. Like when I stay out at night and torrential rain hits at 3:30 AM. Like when the guest preacher at Mission chapel takes 70 minutes to deliver a message that could have been finished in 3 minutes.

But overall, I am happy.

I refuse to be like so many of the Mission’s clients and sit in that f-ing building all damn day long and bum cigarettes and wear a hoodie over my head when it’s 95 degrees out.

I’m happy living in the real world.

And I’ve drawn considerably closer to God/The Universe/All That Is since becoming homeless.

A lot of the credit for that goes to my fellow writers on Medium. There are some fabulous spiritual writers on that platform, people who get it that humankind is undergoing an awakening.

The fact that I’m living in the time of that awakening is one of the reasons I’m happy.

I’ve got my Chromebook and I’ve got my jorts and I’ve got my Medium subscription. It’s gonna be a fabulous summer.

That’s as much as my Parkinson’s-affected hands can stand to type at the moment. But I may post a Part 2 to this in a week or two.

Back Wednesday around 1 PM with the daily news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Today is a personal holiday for me. Everyone should have personal holidays, days on which they celebrate the important milestones in their lives that arrive with the changing of the seasons.

Yesterday after I made my blog post, I walked to the Union Mission and checked in for the night. My name got called to take a shower and I proceeded to the clothes closet desk. “Do you have any shorts that are size 34?” I asked.

The attendant went to a shelf and pulled a pair of jean cutoff shorts. In the past I have refused to rock the jorts, but what the hell. I have no shame anymore. I rolled up the legs to hit right above the knee.

So yeah, today is the first full day in shorts in 2026, a personal holiday for me. I’m gonna celebrate by staying out of the Mission and playing Saucer trivia tonight. I’m also gonna pet a dog named Grizzy.

Oh, by the way… guess what was for dinner last night at the Mission? Beef stew. As I typed about it yesterday, I imagined chewing the fat & gristle… I could smell it… I could taste it. It was a classic case of manifesting the very outcome I didn’t want. I need to stop doing that.

Today my energy is better and I’m imagining chewing, tasting, and smelling one of those new muffaletta pizzas at Memphis Chess Club.

From the Memphis Flyer: Food veterans Hugh Balthrop and David Lorrison have reimagined the menu at The Archives, the bar inside Hotel Napoleon. Go get you some Elvis Overnight Oats for breakfast!

Good Fortune Co. will launch Mekong Sticky Rice Lager, a collab with Flyway Brewing, Friday at Trolley Night. 4 DJs. Free beer samples if you dance.

Two eastbound lanes will be closed on the I-40 bridge through Saturday for Mighty Lights repairs.

HUNGRY, a movie about a raging hippo, hits theaters this week.

The Mama Jama is the burger of the week at Momma’s: smoked Gouda cheese, bacon jam, caramelized onions, and BBQ sauce.

In other Momma’s news, crawfish return this Saturday, noon til they run out. Live music on the patio by Skyler King and Roy Highland.

$12.99 lunch specials at Cordelia’s 11 AM- 2 PM this week:

• Tue: Picadillo with chile rellenos, rice
• Wed: Pastrami sandwich with sea salt chips
• Th: Italian Genoa salami sandwich with jalapeno chips
• Fri: North Shore beef sandwich with fries

The Blooms, Birds, & Brews event returns to Cordelia’s 11-3 Saturday with

• product samplings from local vendors
• beer samplings
• a plant sale
• a grill-out

RIP Oak Court Mall.

Memphis has a new concert venue on the river: Grind City Amp

Back tomorrow with more news. I may do a personal post this week too, possibly as soon as later today.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Yesterday I visited Loflin Yard for the first time in several years. Some friends I made invited me to join in on their sausage & cheese plate, the biggest I’ve seen in Memphis. It can easily feed 4 hungry people. The website says it’s $25… one heck of a good value.

They had a 1983 episode of The Price Is Right on the TV in the Safe House. BARKER’S BEAUTIES!!! Diane, Janice, and Holly!

New Flying Saucer promotion: Show the current day’s Memphis Redbirds ticket stub to get 15% off your meal. This deal will remain in effect all season.

Wrestlemania night 2 results

A new Michael Jackson biopic is coming out Friday.

CanvasRebel interviews local artist Jessica Faro.

Edible Memphis takes a look at new South Main Filipino snack bar Kuya.

It has been recommended to me that I try THC seltzer to alleviate the synptims of my Parkinson’s disease, especially feeling on edge and shaking. I will look into it. That stuff is expensive though.

Dead tired so I’m gonna cough up $6 to stay at the Mission tonight. I sure hope dinner is not beef stew again. Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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The Redbirds wrap up their homestand with Gwinnett at 1:05 today with a space-themed “901 to Orbit” game. Kids get to run the bases after the game concludes.

Broadway show SIX, featuring the six wives of King Henry VIII, comes to the Orpheum this week.

Wrestlemania night 1 results

FOX 13 has a recap of Hot Wing Fest.

I have an event to attend on the south side today, so don’t worry about me when I don’t show up at Bardog as usual at 11. Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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Shell Daze, the free concert planned for the Overton Park Shell this weekend, is moving Downtown to the New Daisy today only due to weather.

The Redbirds host Gwinnett for a 1:05 PM game and it’s County Fair day. What’s that mean?

• The mechanical bull is back
• Touch-a-Tractor experience
• Free County Fair T-shirt to the first 1500 fans

There are 2 specialty tickets to today’s game:

• Bark in the Park admits you and your dog
• Homeplate Club access including a chicken wing buffet

Illusionist Leon Etienne has a show at the Halloran Centre tonight.

Wrestlemania is this weekend. Watch the first hour of the action FREE Saturday 5-6 Central on ESPN2 and Sunday 5-6 on ESPN.

The former Momoya and Bubble Tea Shop locations near the Majestic Grille are being renovated to make them more appealing to potential tenants, the CA reports.

Elmwood Cemetery will host a tour of its stone monuments Saturday, May 2. $20 / 90 minutes.

Old Dominick will have a crawfish boil this afternoon. $48 VIP all-you-can-eat.

Probably back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

First of all, wishing a very happy birthday to the one and only LONDON!!! She’ll be behind the upstairs bar at Earnesrine & Hazel’s tonight from 8:00, 8:30 or so until close. Go see her and tip her ALL THE MONEYZ! Even that $2 coin you brought back from a vacation in Canada a few years ago. TIP HER THAT TOO!

Speaking of Canada, I met the NICEST tourists last night. They were from Lethbridge, a town about 2 hours south of (if I can be serious for a minute) Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The actor who played Mr. Drummond on the TV show Diff’rent Strokes was from Lethbridge. Whatchu talkin’ bout, Mr. D?

You can ride a mechanical bull tonight at Rockey’s Rodeo at the Redbirds. First pitch vs. Gwinnett is at 7:05. It’s Fiesta Friday at the ballpark with $5 margaritas, $5 Dos Equis beer, and $5 street tacos. The Heavenly Hot Dog Buffet is back with 21 toppings to choose from. First 1500 fans in the gate get a Dri-Fit hoodie.

There will be a vegan block party at Martyrs’ Park Saturday.

Get ready for an all-day pub crawl on and around the Downtown/Edge section of Madison Avenue Saturday, May 2:

Also on May 2: Tell your homeless and less-fortunate friends there will be an event for them in Court Square. They’ll be fed, clothed, and supplied.

Someone wanted to know, what are the 21 toppings on the Redbirds’ Heavenly Hot Dog Buffet? I asked ChatGPT:

• mustard
• ketchup
• relish
• mayo
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• onions
• pickle chips
• crispy onions
• peppers & onions
• shredded cheddar
• nacho cheese
• sauerkraut
• jalapenos
• bacon bits
• pico de gallo
• coleslaw
• BBQ sauce
• buffalo sauce
• cream cheese

ChatGPT suggested some elite-tier combos:

• Memphis Smokehouse Dog: chili, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, onions, cheddar
• Spicy Street Dog: jalapenos, pico, nacho cheese, onions, buffalo sauce
• Chili Cheese Overload: chili, nacho cheese, shredded cheddar, onions, bacon bits
• Bacon Ranch-ish Remix: bacon bits, lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheddar
• Tangy Crunch Dog: sauerkraut, relish, mustard, pickle chips, onions
• Sweet Heat Southern Dog: BBQ sauce, jalapenos, coleslaw, bacon bits, pico
• Chaos Mode: chili, nacho cheese, jalapenos, sauerkraut, BBQ sauce, onions

I’m gonna add one of my own:

• The “Paul”: cream cheese, BBQ sauce, peppers & onions. Wash it down with a PBR.

PBR Pickle is a thing. A fellow Downtowner and I are considering a road trip to Crosstown next week to investigate.

Felicia Suzanne Restaurant is hiring.

The Grizzlies are looking to hire a UI/UX developer.

Loflin Yard posted their updated seasonal cocktail menu:

Our Crimson Siesta is a Loflin play on an aperol spritz, the Vodka Verde is like a spa in a cup, the Duck Clubbed has lots of herbal notes, and A Dash of Passion brings some fun and fruity vibes! Try them out at a steal during our happy hours from 4-7pm every Wednesday-Friday!

Winzell’s Oyster House is coming to the former Hooters location on Peabody Place. This Alabama-based chain has been around for nearly 90 years.

Probably back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Sit. Stay. Good beer. I made some new friends from Arkansas yesterday morning at Bardog, and they recommended a brewery to visit: Southern Tail in Little Rock. They tell me it’s a beautiful space and the food is outstanding. Hey, they have beer can chicken – that’s a must-try, as I learned at a previous BBQ Fest.

Peabody rooftop party szn kicks off tonight with Almost Famous and DJ A.D. 6-10 PM, $15 to get in, $40 to go VIP. In case of rain, they’ll move the party indoors to the Skyway.

It’s 1960s Night at the Redbirds. Enjoy classic hits and groovy vibes as Memphis plays the Gwinnett Stripers at 6:45. It’s also $2 PBR Thursday at the old ball game.

From USA TODAY: The rise of FedEx as an American brand

The former Longshot location in the basement of the ARRIVE Hotel is set to become a cocktail bar called Spoken For. It’ll open this summer and smash burgers will be featured on the menu.

What Now has an update on the Brain Foods restaurant coming to Union Ave. down the street from Huey’s.

Cordelia’s Market is now selling Willow Oaks hanging baskets featuring 3 different flower varieties.

Tom Lee Park will close this coming Monday through May 10 for festival prep & events. So if you plan on smoking up in the park for 4/20, it’ll have to be a different park.

Watch Friday’s NBA play-in game between the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic… and root for Charlotte. If the Magic lose, Memphis will have TWO lottery picks in this year’s draft.

The fire museum will have a yard sale & auction Saturday.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com