Paul Ryburn's Journal

Today is an important holiday: Food Day.  I recommend you celebrate at Downtown Hooters, the Golden Corral in Horn Lake, or the All-Star Hot Wings at Quince and Kirby, all of which are places that have food.

The DM has a look at the newly expanded Grizzlies Den gift shop in FedExForum.

Daaaaang the Downtown Happy Mexican scored a 63 on its health inspection.

Downtown Yoga will hold Thriller Night, a pop-up event, Friday as part of South Main Trolley Night. There will be a costume contest and a wide array of vendors.

Let’s have a look at college football games of interest happening this Saturday:

• South Carolina at Texas A&M, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• Memphis at North Texas, 2:00 PM, ESPN+
• 1 Georgia at Florida, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 8 Oregon at 13 Utah, 2:30 PM, FOX
• 20 Duke at 18 Louisville, 2:30 PM, ESPN
• Mississippi State at Auburn, 2:30 PM, SEC Network
• Arkansas State at UL Monroe, 4:00 PM, ESPN+
• 21 Tennessee at Kentucky, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• Vanderbilt at 12 Ole Miss, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
• Colorado at 23 UCLA, 6:30 PM, ABC

Wow. That’s about as boring a week of college football as you could ask for. Only two ranked vs. ranked, Memphis taking on an opponent that just moved up from Conference USA, and Tennessee vs. Kentucky arguably the best SEC game.

Bedrock Eats and Sweets seeks a front-of-house person.

The teams that play in AutoZone Park (Memphis 901 FC and Memphis Redbirds) seek a graphic designer.

The zoo seeks a private events specialist.

Bishop is hiring a line cook.

The Reunion Tour featuring Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, The Clark Sisters, David & Tamela Mann, and Israel Houghton comes to FedExForum tonight.

Blind Bear food specials this week! (Photos below courtesy of Antonio Jones)

Vegetable soup – zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, celery, spinach in a beef broth. Local soup expert Butt Slut #1 commented “That soup is on pointttttt” on Facebook.

Blackened salmon alfredo

Lemon berry cream cake

Get the specials while supplies last, which will probably be through Saturday. Bill – Flying Saucer Bill, to clarify, since there are several Bills –  came in last night and gave the vegetable soup his approval.

There will be a Podcasting Basics workshop at the Cossitt Library Wednesday at 5:30 PM. The library’s Innovator in Residence, Ena Esco, will lead the workshop. Register to attend (free) on Eventbrite. More about this event:

Unlock the Power of Podcasting: Your Essential Guide to Podcasting Basics. Discover the key elements, from framing your idea, structure, reaching your audience, visual setup and recording needs. Get ready to launch your podcasting journey with confidence as we head into 2024.

Nightmare on Mulberry Street, Slider Inn Downtown’s Halloween party, will happen Saturday night. Specialty drinks, DJ sets, costume contests. Fun starts at 7 PM. Delyrius, Atia, FERB, Andy Chance… those are DJs I guess?

Not Downtown but worth a Lyft: India Fest 2023 Saturday at the Agricenter. Indian food is AWESOME… even their vegetarian stuff is good.

Speaking of vegetarian stuff… get your plant based junk food Wednesday evening at the Ghost River taproom at Main and Crump. Vuture Food will sell their chick’n sandwiches and loaded fries.

There will be a beer & Halloween candy pairing at Wiseacre Downtown this Saturday. Pick from 1 PM or 3 PM class times. $25 covers all supplies. Ages 21 and up.

Elmwood Cemetery will host a Full Moon Tour this Saturday from 6:00 to 7:30. Bring your flashlight and walking shoes.

Brass Door has announced new hours:

• CLOSED Mondays and Tuesdays
• 11 AM-9 PM Wednesday-Saturday
• 11 AM-5 PM Sundays and Sunday breakfast specials will be announced soon

There will be a Halloween Scavenger Haunt at the Fire Museum on Adams Ave. Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. Kids can find scary objects hidden around the museum and receive a sweet treat at the end.

The Mallory-Neely House, one of the stately mansions of Victorian Village, is reopening for tours.

jahvon Quinerly, point guard for the Memphis Tigers, has been named to the Bob Cousy Award preseason watch list. The award goes to the best point guard in college ball at the end of the season. There were 20 players put on the preseason list. Quinerly was also named to the preseason American Athletic Conference first team recently.

A “Save Beale Street Music Fest” rally will happen at 3:30 today at City Hall.

The NBA regular season gets underway tonight with a doubleheader on TNT:

• L.A. Lakers at Denver Nuggets, 6:30 Central Time
• Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors, 9:00 Central Time

RIP Bobi, 31, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest dog.

Find out how to get free fries at McDonald’s every Friday from this coming one, October 27, through the end of the year. Free fries? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Sorry I ended yesterday’s blog post kinda abruptly. The library being closed for unexpected maintenance threw me for a loop. They told me I was welcome to hang out at their outdoor cafe area and use their Wi-Fi, but without chairs at the tables I couldn’t concentrate. I guess they only put the chairs out at the lunch hour (it was 10 when I got there).

Back tomorrow with more news.

It’s October 23 and today the sun enters the House of Scorpio. MY house! It’s the beginning of my birthday month. I’ve done my complete astrological chart and my sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, and Pluto are all in Scorpio.

My birthday is on a Saturday this year. That should be fun.

This week only, Ghost River has “Trick or Treat” beer, a chocolate/peanut butter dark stout. Sounds yummy. Please nobody brew a beer that tastes like candy corn.

I ran into someone who’d just brunched at the Majestic yesterday. He said they have a lot of tasty stuff on their new brunch menu, but one popular item is no more: John D’s Breakfast. That was just your good, basic big breakfast with eggs your way, bacon, sausage, toast, and breakfast potatoes.

For those who miss the John D Breakfast at the Majestic, check out Mac’s Big Vols Breakfast down the street at Blind Bear. It’s nearly the same thing. Mac was a beloved bartender, friend, and BBQ teammate who left us too soon.

Couple of more inside scoops from the Blind Bear. Tony let me sample a cup of vegetable soup, one of this week’s specials. I’m not a big soup guy but that was the best cup of vegetable I’ve ever had. Zucchini, cauliflower, green beans, celery, and carrots in a beef broth. The flavor profile was ON and the amount of spice was perfect.

Tony asked me not to take a pic yet, because he was debating whether or not to add spinach to the soup. Now, I’m the biggest spinach fan this side of Popeye, but if the soup ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ll try to have a pic for you – spinach or not – tomorrow.

One more piece of insider Blind Bear news: Their 6 PM Sunday poker night, recently revived after a long hiatus, has not yet attracted a big crowd. Last night I think there were 5 players total. Since the top 3 finishers win prizes, if you know a little something about Texas Hold’em, you’d have a very good chance of walking away with a prize if you showed up.

I came across a Downtown event venue I had not heard of before: From the Heart. It seems to be located in the basement of the Claridge House condos at Main and Adams. The entrance is in between Willie Moore’s soul food and Qahwa coffee shop. It seats 60 and you can use your own caterer.

Bad news for the Memphis Grizzlies: Starting center Steven Adams will be out for the season with PCL surgery. Adams’ rebounding in particular will be sorely missed.

Loflin Yard will hold Loflin Graveyard Saturday from 6 PM to 1 AM. DJ Bassventura will play the Coach House, dog costume contest at 6 PM, adult costume contest at 11 PM. Prizes for singles and groups. Drink specials. No cover.

From the DM: Tom Lee Park will wait to find the right replacement for Vice & Virtue coffee shop

Today is National Slap Your Irritating Co-Worker Day.

A man was critically injured Friday in a shooting in the 300 block of Metal Museum Drive.

Highs in the 80s/lows in the 60s are forecast for this week.

The long-term forecast is for an El Nino winter.  The South is expected to be wetter (but not icy) and stormier.

Just walked over to the Cossitt Library. They tell me they’re going to be closed until midday or later with a maintenance issue. So I’m going to hit Publish and head back home. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

I found the most fun simulation game yesterday! It’s called Trust & Safety Tycoon and in it, you are the Chief Trust & Safety Officer (and right-hand employee of the CEO) at Yapper, a Facebook-like company that is rapidly growing.

Your primary mission is to keep users safe from things like identity theft, promotion of violence, publication of inappropriate material (especially where children can see it), misinformation, etc., etc., etc.

However, you can’t lose sight of the fact that you work at a for-profit company whose goals are to maximize ad revenue, increase user engagement, and promote diversity. Plus, your personal goal is to keep the CEO’s confidence in you as high as possible.

The first time I played, I made it to year 2 before I was terminated by the CEO. The second time, I made it through 6 years and “won” the game with a score of 1739 and a rating of three stars.

Here’s a link to the results from All Elite Wrestling’s Collision from FedExForum last night. Retired TV weatherman/wrestling announcer Dave Brown made a special appearance to call Jeff Jarrett’s match, which Double J won with the help of his entourage.

D Superman will play the ’80s horror Halloween party at the Flying Saucer on Saturday. Costume contest, mystery beer tub, and a drink special. The fun kicks off at 8 PM.

A woman’s dead body was found on a barge just north of Downtown Saturday morning.

Memphis 901 FC’s season is over. The club lost to Louisville on penalty kicks in a playoff game last night.

The football Memphis Tigers defeated UAB yesterday, 45-21. Next up, the Tigers play North Texas. A conference championship is still within reach.

Today is Eat a Pretzel Day. Flying Saucer and Local on Main are your spots to celebrate.

That’s it for now, back tomorrow probably.

In this week’s $10 Deal, the Daily Memphian visits Momma’s, “the diner and dive off 55” that opens for breakfast at 6:30 in the morning. They have breakfast sandwich “The Trooper” with two fried eggs (over hard and peppered), bacon, country ham, and American cheese between two pieces of buttered white or wheat toast.

Today is International Day of the Nacho. My top three picks to celebrate would be the BBQ nachos at Central BBQ Downtown, the traditional nachos with ground beef and melted cheese at Huey’s, and Nachos for the People at Slider Inn Downtown (get them with guac + chili).

$13,000 in hair was stolen from Angel Beauty Supply at 394 East E.H. Crump Friday morning. Welcome to Memphis, where even the crimes that are committed are ghetto.

A suspect in the carjacking that happened earlier this month at the Exxon on Riverside has been captured in Arkansas.

A Blytheville woman walked Big River Crossing to celebrate her 101st birthday.

Read the full transcript of President Biden’s speech Thursday night on the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars.

Ross al Ghul of Bodywerk plays Eight & Sand Lounge in Central Station tonight from 9 to 1. Rock, disco, funk, soul, house.

A food truck permit in Memphis costs only $50, but coming into compliance to get the permit can cost thousands. The cost could put some food trucks out of business, FOX 13 reports.

I learned a food service secret yesterday, and I wanted to pass it on to my readers. If a restaurant’s daily special is a chef’s salad, and the chef’s salad is not on the regular menu, order something else.

Why? Well, there are ingredients most of us think are more likely than not to appear on a chef’s salad: lettuce of course, sliced ham, sliced turkey, tomatoes, maybe onions, maybe sliced or crumbled hard-boiled egg. But those don’t define a chef’s salad: By definition, what goes on a chef’s salad is whatever Chef thinks should be on there.

I’ve seen chopped grilled chicken atop chef’s salads. Pepperoni. Salami. Roast beef. Jalapenos. Crumbled blue cheese. Bell peppers  Black olives. Shrooms. Chinese won tons. In the summertime, strawberries or pineapple slices.

“What’s wrong with any of those?” you may ask. “Are you begrudging chefs their creativity?”

No. Not at all. But the secret, my industry friends tell me, is that when dreaming up a chef’s salad daily special, the chefs are not necessarily thinking, “What bold combination of flavors would make a beautiful harmony on a salad plate?”

More likely they’re thinking, “What do I have in the refrigerator that will have to be thrown out if I don’t use it today?”

So a chef salad that is a daily special is likely not to contain the freshest food the restaurant has.

A new fine dining restaurant, Amelia Gene’s, opens Sunday at 255 S. Front, and the CA’s Jennifer Chandler has the scoop. The restaurant is part of the One Beale project. Amelia Gene’s will have an in-house bread baker. Other menu standouts include house-made pastas, duck, elk short rib, and a cheese cart. Photo gallery

The Grizzlies lost on the road at Milwaukee last night… which matters not, for it was a pre-season game. The important takeaway was that Ziaire Williams started at small forward. His competitor for the starting role, David Roddy, was first to be subbed in by Memphis. Ziaire guarded superstar Damian Lillard for much of the game. This was considered a “dress rehearsal,” so it’s likely Williams has earned the starter role for the regular season.

There was a report of a shooting at Gayoso and Main last night about 6:40.  The victim was located in North Memphis less than an hour later and was taken to Regional One in critical condition.

Ricky Wilkins, an attorney who had offices in the Shrine Building, has passed away.

Memphis Animal Services needs dog fosters. There is said to be a “puppy boom” going on right now.

Wow, MemphisWeather.net is predicting a high of 85 today! It’ll still get down to the mid-50s tonight.

MAGA asshole/nut case Jim Jordan has failed in his bid to become Speaker of the House. The House is effectively paralyzed – in the middle of the Israel-Hamas conflict – until they elect a new speaker or expands the speaker pro tempore’s power.

Striking Hollywood writers have been told not to dress up as characters written by members of their union for Halloween.

That’s the news for today. Back tomorrow or maybe Monday.

 

Today is National Chicken & Waffles Day. Now, if this were a Saturday or a Sunday, I’d have a long list of Downtown restaurants where you could celebrate with this soul food favorite. On a weekday, though? That’s a tough one. Looks like I’m gonna have to send you to a hotel.

• Capriccio inside the Peabody
• King & Union Bar Grocery in the Doubletree

Wait, I just found a non-hotel restaurant:

• Fannie Lou’s Chicken & Waffles at 500 Tennessee Street

Fannie Lou’s is run by the guy who operated Cheesecake Corner for years. According to Facebook, Fannie Lou’s now has cheesecake.

One more…

• Sugar Grits has “Bird in the Bed,” Southern fried chicken atop a Belgian waffle topped with spicy maple syrup

And now I have a message from the folks at Local on Main:

• Local on Main will run a special today: A Nashville hot chicken breast with house-made slaw between two waffles. A pic is below:

Make that two pics:

Would you believe I’ve NEVER tried chicken & waffles before? Maybe today will be the day. I plan on stopping by Local on Main this morning around 11.

A word of warning if you go out for brunch in Downtown Memphis this Sunday: The person pictured below may show up at your table and ask, “CAN I HAVE A BIIIIIIIITE?”

The Nuh-Uh Girl

This person is known as The Nuh-Uh Girl and she was famous on this blog from 2006 to 2013. Her favorite thing to eat is OPF – Other People’s Food. She moved out west about 10 years ago and she’s now a wine sommelier in Park City, Utah. She’s been on Facebook this week asking where in Downtown Memphis has a good Sunday brunch, and she’s been spotted not far away in New Orleans.

Mud Island readers: On Wednesday, October 25 – the day of the Grizzlies’ first regular-season home game – be on the lookout for the Memphis Grizzlies Claw Crew as you drive to work. They’ll be at the roundabout at Island Drive and A.W. Willis Ave. with swag and ticket giveaways.

Memphis 901 FC hosts Louisville City FC at 5:30 Saturday in the first round of the USL playoffs.

TheBigWe Foundation will present A Creative Play Date Sunday in Tom Lee Park (at the park’s Monument to Listening) from 3 to 5 PM. All are welcome for an afternoon of art and painting, family-friendly games, and a musical petting zoo.

The city has an opening for an animal services officer.

The ShotGunBillys play Momma’s at 8.

Deep Roots plays Slider Inn Downtown at 8.

Bronx-based rapper and record producer Lord Finesse plays Eight & Sand Lounge in Central Station Hotel tonight from 9 PM to 1 AM. Lord Finesse is known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. Crew (“Diggin’ in the Crates”).

The Mullet Bros, spreading awareness of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), paid a visit to Downtown Memphis this week.

And that’ll wrap it up. Possibly back later today with more news.

The special at Local on Main today: Chili cheese fries with house-made chili

Also, some guy is standing on the Main Street Mall selling COVID tests.

I’d like to offer a reminder to those who walk the pedestrian Main Street Mall: MOST MEMPHIS DRIVERS ARE IDIOTS. Just because the driver at the intersection you’re crossing has a red light doesn’t mean they’re going to stop. Just because you’re in a well-marked crosswalk doesn’t mean they’re going to stop.

Always be prepared to make a run for it, or a leap, or to stop in your tracks.

Look, I’m not trying to imply that your life is not important. I’m just saying, to the driver of the lime green Infiniti with drive-out tags, your life is not as important as the Snapchat app on their phone.

You can score some $9.01 tickets to the Grizzlies’ Wednesday, October 25 home opener by coming to their Plaza Party at FedExForum lunchtime Monday. Limit 2 tix per person while supplies last. El Mero, Frozen Spoon, MemPops, and Stickem food trucks will be at the party along with a live DJ and the Grizzlies’ Claw Crew.

Harbor Town Pharmacy will be closed today. The business was burglarized overnight. The back doors were smashed and more than $100 was taken from the register.

AL.com has a position-by-position breakdown of Saturday’s UAB vs. Memphis football game.

All right, gonna go ahead and hit Publish so I can get the word out about this Local special. This is my second post today, so make sure you don’t miss the first one.

 

Those of you going to FedExForum for All Elite Wrestling’s live broadcast of their Collision TV show this Saturday, you have a bonus coming. After Collision wraps, a special – AEW’s Battle of the Belts VIII – will be broadcast live from Memphis. The belts to be battled for will be the AEW Trios (six-man tag team) championships and the match will be

Daddy Ass (Billy Gunn) & The Acclaimed (champions) vs. Daniel Garcia, Daddy Magic & Cool Hand Ang

So, Memphis, I must ask you this…

WHO’S….. YOUR….. DADDY?????

Cocozza will be open 12 to 4 this Sunday for Harbor Town’s Fall Fest with sausage & pepper subs, meatball subs, and chicken parm subs as specials. They’ll also have spritzes, their full menu, and candy for the kids.

Anyone got more info on this Fall Fest? Send info/links to paul.ryburn@gmail.com or hit me up on social media.

Today is International Gin and Tonic Day.

It’s also National Seafood Bisque Day. I recommend celebrating with a cup of the lobster bisque at Slider Inn Downtown. Or you could do the red pepper & blue crab bisque at Fancy’s Fish House (pro tip: If you go to Fancy’s, ask for Maddie as your server).

Attention Westy’s: Please fix your menu on your website! I shouldn’t have to pick up my MacBook and tilt the screen sideways to be able to read it. Open it in a PDF editor, select “Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise,” and save. If you’re not tech-savvy enough to do this, I can do it for dinner and a piece of hot fudge pie.

The Memphis Flyer has a look at the treats offered by Carrington’s Catering, one of the vendors at the Memphis Farmers Market. I’ve had their tarts before. Really good.

By the way – only 2 markets left in Memphis Farmers Market’s regular season. The markets run every Saturday through the end of October under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, behind the Power House movie theater. 8 AM to 1 PM. Get there early (as the local chefs do) to have your pick of the best stuff.

Amber Rae Dunn Trio plays Live at the Tracks at Central Station tonight from 6:30 to 9:30.

Tonight in the Filmmaker’s Workshop series at the Cossitt Library: Acting 101 with Raven Martin. “Develop acting skills, explore character development, and practice on-camera performances.” 5-7 PM.

RuPaul’s Drag Race – Night of the Living Drag comes to the Orpheum Wednesday at 8 PM. Tickets are $41-$121.

Something called Balkan Night is happening Saturday night at Silly Goose starting at 9 PM. I have no idea what that is but the owners are from that part of the world – Serbia (Boba) and Bosnia (Anja). Edible Memphis, by the way, recently had a nice post about the Goose and Boba & Anja on their Facebook page.

Andrew Cabigao Duo plays Momma’s tonight from 7 to 10. It’s Ladies Night with ladies receiving 20% off their tab during those hours.

A must-read (but not a pleasant read) for Grizzlies fans from ESPN: “Then the alligators got him”: Inside Ja Morant’s 18-month downfall

Another long but interesting read: The Downtown Safety Plan developed for the Downtown Memphis Commission by consultants

Congratulations to Downtown business owner Cristina McCarter (Feast & Graze) on being named to Mayor-elect Paul Young’s transition team. Cristina will be one of three co-chairs of economic development. View the entire transition team list

There’s going to be a “Save Beale Street Music Fest” rally outside City Hall on Tuesday. Jerred Price is organizing it. The rally will last from 3:30 to 5:00 PM. Let me say it once again… living Downtown is like watching a soap opera, except that YOU are a character in the soap opera.

The company that runs Central Station seeks a shift engineer for the hotel.

It’s Wednesday night as I type this and I’m at the Blind Bear. A large group came in and had a reception, complete with food buffet. I eavesdropped and heard several of them introduce themselves to each other. “I bet they came from all over to attend a conference here,” I thought. Possibly the Global Industrial National Trade Show happening at the Renasant Convention Center.

About 8:30 they tabbed out, and I noticed half their food still remained. “If they’re staying in hotels, they’re not going to have anywhere to put their leftovers,” I thought. “I wonder if they’re going to leave them?”

A minute later, as the last of the big group walked out the door, Chico, the bartender, said, “Hey, Paul,” and gestured in the direction of the buffet.

OH HELL YEAH!!! Not only had I not eaten all day Wednesday, I hadn’t eaten the day before either! I got a chicken taco and two chicken egg rolls. Thank you, trade show people! Or whoever you are!

Then it was karaoke time. First up, we had a guy who did “Monster Mash” PERFECTLY. I actually applauded, and I almost never do that.

Next was a quartet… Hershell, Phoenix, Michael, and Chance singing… something. They reminded me of the way I sounded when I was fifteen. Except, back then I wasn’t singing. I was crying out in pain because I had kidney stones.

And now the butt sluts are here… #2 singing in my left ear and #1 in my right ear.

And now the clock has struck 12. Thursday morning is here. Possibly back later today with a second post.

Chef Eli of Dos Hermanos Kitchen at the Cossitt Library will host a cooking demo tonight. On the menu: A hearty cornbread dressing with cranberry compote. 6:30-8:00 PM.

It’s Whiskey Wednesday at Eight & Sand Lounge in Central Station Hotel tonight from 6 to 9. Memphis’ very own Blue Note Bourbon is this week’s featured distiller.

Bardog Tavern has announced its annual Halloween costume contest, to be held the night of the 31st.

• First place: $200
• Second place: $100
• Third place: $50

Audience response will be the judge and the winner will be crowned at the stroke of midnight.

Stacked & Packed play Momma’s tonight. It’s Bike Night there with the following specials:

• $15 domestic buckets
• $17 import buckets
• $2 off appetizers

It’s The Office trivia night tonight at 6:30 at the Grind City taproom.

From Bleacher Report: Which high-profile moves from the 2023 NBA offseason will backfire? Read what they have to say about Dillon Brooks’ new contract with Houston.

From Action News 5: Beginning November 1, food truck vendors in Memphis will need to pay $50 for a permit and will be required to undergo an inspection by MFD

And now, it’s time for a recommendation by assistant blog writer Perjorie T. Roll:

Although it isn’t even a Downtown event, Perjorie feels strongly that you should take a Lyft or an Uber out to Black Lodge in Crosstown Thursday evening for Dinner and a Bad Horror Movie. Now, I’m not much of a movie person myself, but Perjorie tells me the movie to be shown Thursday, TROLL 2, is widely considered “the best horror film of all time.” As for dinner, I’m gonna just copy and paste the menu:

First Course: “Welcome to Nilbog Cake”
(Cupcake with green frosting)

Second Course: “The Fruit Belt”
(To tighten when the hunger pains set in)
Mint Green tea palate cleanser

Third Course: “Troll’s Curry”
(Thai green curry with tofu, potatoes, and
carrots, on a bed of rice with soft boiled egg)

There will be drink specials available to pair with each course. $35 per person for dinner & the movie; free to just show up and watch the movie. Get tickets

Saturday will be Family Fun Day at the Metal Museum. Families will be able to tour the museum for free, watch an iron pour, and take part in a variety of hands-on activities including bracelet and ring making and sculpture design.

Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart has promised fans he will make his preseason debut Friday in Memphis’ road game at Milwaukee.

The Department of Justice is considering going after real estate brokers who earn 6% commissions. I personally know at least four real estate agents. If I had homebuying/selling needs, I would gladly pay any of them 6% to make sure my transaction proceeds without difficulty.

There’s Double Dutch jump rope in Tom Lee Park every Saturday in Tom Lee Park at 11 AM. An exact location was not given, but I am assuming under the pavilion.

If any of you use the compression & archiving tool WinRAR, you need to update your software right now. Note that WinRAR doesn’t auto-download and apply the fic. You have to do it yourself.

A pedestrian was hit by a car at Main and Union about 3 yesterday afternoon.

A pork chop, grilled or fried, is the daily lunch special at Local on Main today. It comes with two sides.

That’ll do it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

RiverArtsFest, the region’s largest arts festival, happens on the river this coming weekend. Its centerpiece is a juried market featuring the creations of 150 artists. This is a great opportunity to pick up Christmas/holiday presents for the art lover in your life or some new conversation pieces for your home.

However, the festival affords you the opportunity to not only consume the art of others, but to create your own. Kids of all ages can come to the free interactive art station, sponsored by Art Center Supply Store, and create their own masterpiece.

There will be live music too. Here’s the lineup:

Saturday

• 11:00-12:15 – Jeff Hulett Trio
• 12:30-1:45 – Graham Winchester
• 2:00-3:15 – Rachel Maxann
• 3:30-5:00 – Alexis Jade & The Gemstones
• Throughout Saturday: Strolling performances by Jeff Hulett

Sunday

• 11:00-12:15 – Beth Luscombe String Trio
• 12:30-1:45 – Jeremy Stanfill
• 2:00-3:15 – Loveland Duren
• 3:30-5;00 – Tennessee Mass Choir
• Throughout Sunday: Strolling performances by Brad Fielder

There will be a performing arts stage as well. Its schedule:

Saturday

• 10:45-11:30 – Tennessee Shakespeare Company
• 12:00-12:45 – Harmonic South String Orchestra
• 1:15-2;00 – Memphis ChoralArts
• 2:30-3:15 – Hot Foot Honeys Tap Dance Company
• 3:45-4:30 – Hatiloo Theatre

Sunday

• 10:45-11:30 – Memphis Youth Symphony Program
• 12:00-12:45 – Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group
• 1:15-2:00 – PRIZM Ensemble
• 2:30-3:15 – Opera Memphis
• 3:45-4:30 – SubRoy Movement

The festival also tends to have well-above-average food vendors, so come hungry!

The men’s college basketball preseason AP Top 25 poll is out and the Memphis Tigers didn’t make it. With 7 total votes, Memphis finished 37th in the voting. Memphis would have needed another 97 votes to tie for 25th.

The blue bloods dominated as usual, with Kansas 1st, Duke 2nd, and Michigan State 4th.

Memphis’ conference foe Florida Atlantic, predicted to win the AAC, came in ranked 10th.

SEC teams in the rankings: 9 Tennessee, 14 Arkansas, 15 Texas A&M, 16 Kentucky, 24 Alabama. Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Florida got votes but finished outside the top 25.

From Tiger Blueprint: Why Memphis is underrated in the preseason AP poll

Cactus chili is one of the weekly specials at the Blind Bear. There are little pieces of cactus in it – not the prickly parts, though. The chili is slightly sweet, possibly because cactus contains sugar.

According to a Facebook post by Tony, in addition to the cactus chili, the other specials this week at the Bear are

• Mushroom Velouté herb chicken – I had never heard of Velouté sauce before. Wikipedia to the rescue – velouté is French for “velvety.”
• Homemade brownies with vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry and caramel syrup

In other Blind Bear news: For a Halloween one-night-only special, they’re bringing back Velvetina’s Speakeasy Burlesque this Friday at 10 PM, with live music provided by James and the Ultrasounds.

Smart City Memphis says that the lawless behavior allowed by police officers – for example. people literally hanging out off car windows – is making consumers and companies reconsider doing business Downtown. If you are a Downtown stakeholder or a government official, this is well worth a few minutes of your time to read.

Silky’s will have a Nightmare on Beale Street Halloween party beginning at 7 PM on Tuesday the 31st. There will be a DJ and a costume contest.

Today is Edge Day. To celebrate, I recommend visiting Sun Studio, then a Venezuelan dinner st Sabor Caribe, then a nightcap at cocktail bar Inkwell. All of those businesses are in Memphis’ Edge District.

It’s also National Pasta Day. Celebrate with spaghetti & Grandma’s NJ meatballs at Bardog.

Celebrate Spreadsheet Day by watching the Microsoft Excel World Championship:

Coyote Ugly is hiring for all positions.

MATA is proposing the suspension of all services after 7 PM. I assume that would include the Main Street trolleys, which run until 11 weeknights and 1 Friday and Saturday. It’s also proposing eliminating lesser-used bus routes around the city, including the buses that run the former Riverfront and Madison Avenue trolley lines.

Memphis Tigers defensive lineman Andres Fox will be suspended for the first half of the UAB game on Saturday. Fox was ejected for a nasty hir to a Tulane player in last week’s game, and his actions exasperated head coach Ryan Silverfield to the point that Silverfield felt the need to apologize.

From ABC 24: Local entrepreneurs with dreams of a retail location, learn how the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Open on Main project can help you.

That’s it for today. Back with more news tomorrow.

Don’t forget, folks – there’s redneck trivia at Momma’s tonight at 7. Come display your knowledge of hunting, fishing, county music, car repairs, etc. and win some bar cash.

I wonder if anyone from the exurbs of Memphis has heard about this trivia night? Seems like people from Millington and Munford would have a natural advantage, as would people from Hernando, Mississippi.

Also people from West Texas.

But wait, that’s not all… it’s also Free Burger Night at Momma’s. Every 7th burger to come out of the kitchen at Momma’s will be FREE.

There will be Jack Daniel’s and Budweiser specials as well. Momma’s is at 855 Kentucky (at the intersection with Crump). It’s “the diner and dive off 55.”

The DM reports that Ziaire was looking good in last night’s preseason game against Miami. He may be in line for the starting small forward spot that came open when Memphis refused to extend Dillon “I Poke Bears” Brooks. Next up: preseason finale at Milwaukee, Friday at 7. DM writer Drew Hill thinks that game may be something of a full dress rehearsal for the Grizz, and we could see Marcus Smart on the court for the first time this preseason.

It’s fall bingo night at the Grind City taproom tonight from 6 to 9. The night will be co-hosted by Varsity Spirit and will be a fundraiser to support the inclusion of young people with disabilities in activities. The theme will be Fall Festival and will include

• Traditional bingo
• Fall activities for kids
• A silent auction
• Food trucks
• Prizes for each bingo round winner, and the winners will be entered into a raffle for the evening’s grand prize

It’s National Liqueur Day.

Go Chargers! Beat those Dallas Cowgirls on MNF! ESPN FPI has L.A. as a 56-to-44-percent favorite.

Sound Mixing with Ben Brown is the latest seminar in the Cossitt Library’s filmmakers’ series, tonight from 5 to 7.  “Explore the importance of audio in filmmaking, including recording, editing, and sound design.”

Cheers to my buddy Keith! He employed a great strategy to get extra chips at Sunday night Blind Bear poker: He told the server, “Get Paul a couple of PBRs on my tab.” And Keith ended up winning! He created good karma for himself.

Keith told me he’s been eating breakfast a lot at Momma’s, which opens at 6:30 AM. Chocolate chip pancakes and chicken biscuits are his go-tos. He’s gonna investigate the cheese dip at Pretty Taco based on my post yesterday.

Let’s have a look at college football games of interest this Saturday:

• 7 Penn State at 3 Ohio State, 11:00 AM, FOX
• 22 Air Force at Navy, 11:00 AM, CBS
• Mississippi State at Arkansas, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• Memphis at UAB, 11:00 AM, ESPN2
• 17 Tennessee at 11 Alabama, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 13 Ole Miss at Auburn, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State, 6:00 PM, ESPN+
• 2 Michigan at Michigan State, Paul Bunyan Trophy game, 6:30 PM, NBC
• 16 Duke vs. 4 Florida State, 6:30 PM, ABC
• 14 Utah at 18 USC, 7:00 PM, FOX

Wathing the TV news this morning, I learned that there’s a website called WikiFeet where users rate celebrities’ feet.

The DM looks at the fact that more restaurants are adding auto-gratuities to customer bills. (Premium article – you may not be able to access it if not a DM subscriber) Mike from Blue Monkey and Nikki from Ben-Yay’s were interviewed. I 100% support auto-gratting – in a city like Memphis, servers are unlikely to get a fair wage without it. As Nikki mentions, the customers who complain about auto-gratting are the ones who wouldn’t have tipped anyway.

Congrats to FedExForum, whose main kitchen and LIT Lounge Bar scored 100s on recent health inspections.  Also scoring 100s were FedExForum concession vendors Griz Grub Asian/Taco, Wing Guru, and Rendezvous.

MATA is holding public meetings concerning its winter ride service. The Downtown meeting will be Tuesday, October 24 at the One Commerce Square auditorium, 40 S. Main, from 3:30 to 5:30 PM.

Early-bird tickets are now on sale for Memphis Tigers home basketball games: You can get $5 Terrace Level tickets for Memphis vs.

• Jackson State – November 6
• Alabama State – November 17
• Austin Peay – December 30

and $15 Terrace Level tickets for Memphis vs.

• Clemson – December 16
• Virginia – December 19
• Vanderbilt – December 23

South Point Grocery will host a free Downtown Sounds concert featuring Rachel Maxann this Thursday from 5 to 7 PM. Feel free to grab a bite or a beer inside then join the party on the porch.

The CA has a photo gallery: The Rendezvous at 75

South Bluffs residents: According to Nextdoor posts, some delivery drivers are leaving packages at the back (Nottoway) gate.

Happy 100th birthday to Disney.

RIP Suzanne Somers AKA Chrissy from Three’s Company.

Guitar god Joe Bonamassa is coming to the Cannon Center next Monday.

Kids’ show Bluey’s Big Play has four performances at the Orpheum this weekend.

Cocozza, the red sauce Italian restaurant on the Island, is hiring front-of-house positions.  These are the same folks who own the Majestic Grille (Patrick and Deni) and by all accounts, they are wonderful people to work for.

The Green Beetle is hiring servers.

That’s all I’ve got for now. RiverArtsFest preview and more news coming tomorrow.