Paul Ryburn's Journal

6:25 PM:  Today I went on a long run on the pool table at the Saucer, winning 11 games in a row, including the 10th game in one shot when I made the 8 on the break.  To be fair, Pete was the one who eventually ended the streak, but for most of the afternoon this is what he was thinking:

I finished the day at 12-2.  I’m now at home enjoying Paul’s Drunkass Food.  About 7:30 I’ll head back up to the Saucer for round 2.  Most people have the day off tomorrow (I don’t!  My company is HOLDING THE WHITE MAN DOWN!!!) for MLK day, so hopefully there will be a crowd.  Most likely I’ll get my second wind and close the place down.

Preview of George W. Bush’s proclamation of tomorrow’s holiday:  “Milk day!  Well, I think that’s fantastic that Congress set aside a holiday honoring milk.  It does a body good, you know.  But I think they left a vowel out of…” (advisor whispers in his ear)  “Oh.”

Heading back up there, maybe to whoop some more ass at pool.  Whatcha gonna do when the rabbit gets the gun, Pete, whatcha gonna do when the rabbit gets the gun.

Post is dated Sunday the 20th, but I’m posting at 1:37 AM and haven’t been to bed yet.  Therefore, I still consider it Saturday and “today” refers to Saturday in this post.

Today I spent a LOT of money, but at least I did it somewhat wisely.  Went to a men’s clothing store in Downtown Memphis whose shirts I’ve been admiring for a while, but haven’t bought any because they’re just massively expensive.  Paying more than a hundred bucks for one shirt makes me sick, and these shirts are WAY over a hundred.  But this morning I woke up with a game plan.  I went to the store, tried on shirts from two different makers who seemed to have quality stuff, found out what size I wear for each, then bought one shirt from each maker at full price, shuddering as I signed the debit card receipt.

Then, knowing what size I wear for each maker, I came home and got on eBay.  Found several other of the shirts I wanted, from sellers who had sold hundreds or thousands of items and who had 99% or better positive feedback.  I selected the “Buy it Now” option for each shirt, and paid 20-30% of the retail price for each.  eBay rules.  Sure was nice to pay two-digit prices instead of three-digit.  Still, altogether I spent over $500 on shirts today.  Ouch.

I was done with my shopping by noon, and my plan after that was to have a productive afternoon getting chores done at home.  So what happened?  I went to the Saucer.  Once at the Saucer my plan was to only have one beer.  So what happened?  I had six beers and stayed until almost 5:00.  Yay.  Request from one of the waitresses:  “You need to write about me in your blog and say how awesome I am.”  Yeah, I’ll get to that in a little over two months when I do my April Fool’s Day post.

Got to-go food from Roma, ate, came home, took a nap, decided it was too cold to go back out.  Therefore I’m blogging.

Second Street Shoppers, which recently added a deli and is now serving sandwiches, salads and wraps, sent me a menu.  My top picks from the menu:  the Chicken Alfredo sandwich (chicken, bacon, mushroom, Swiss, alfredo sauce) and the Santa Fe Chicken sandwich (chicken, bacon, Swiss, chipotle sauce, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers).  Hopefully I’ll get in there and get one of those to-go for lunch.

There will be a fundraiser for Barack Obama Friday, February 1 at the Hi-Tone in Midtown.  Admission fee is a $5 donation, or more if you feel like giving more.

That reminds me… early voting started last week.  Don’t forget to early vote and avoid the long lines the day of the primary!  I’ll have to get to the Election Commission one day next week and cast my vote, now that I’ve decided that Senator Obama is my choice.

It’s a safe bet that I’ll be at the Flying Saucer pretty much any day, but here are three days this month when you can definitely expect to see me there:

• Friday, January 25:  Aquanet plays at 9:30.  Kickass ’80s hair band music.
• Saturday, January 26:  Memphis Tigers vs. Gonzaga at the FedExForum at 11 AM.  I need to find out if the Saucer plans to open early like they did for the last game.  Regardless, I’ll be there no later than 11 to catch the game on TV.
• Thursday, January 31:  The Dempseys play at 9:30.

Congrats to the Maryland Terrapins, who knocked off #1 North Carolina tonight.  Meanwhile, #2 Memphis squashed Southern Miss 83-47, paving the way for a probable move into the #1 spot in this coming week’s polls.

I’m working on some stuff to make this blog more useful as a Downtown information source.  You’ll see the results in about a week.

Tomorrow:  Brunch at the Majestic at 11, followed by a full day of drinking beer and whooping Pete’s ass at pool.

Soooo last night I met up with 16 of my closest friends for a double birthday dinner at Pa Pa Pia’s, the new Italian restaurant on Union between Front and Main, in the space that used to be Meditrina and before that Cafe Samovar.  They did an outstanding job and I was completely impressed with the place.

First of all, I’ll start with the food.  Check out their menu to get an idea of what they have.  I ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca, which consisted of two large pieces of thinly sliced chicken topped with proscuitto, mushrooms and Marsala sauce.  It was absolutely delicious.  It came with a side order of Spagettini Bolognese, their spaghetti with meat sauce, which several people at the table agreed was among the best they’d ever had (although there were also some votes for the spaghetti with meatless tomato sauce).

Some of my friends got the Family Dinner, which consists of two entrees and two pasta dishes for $40, a really good value considering it’s enough food to feed 4 (maybe even 5 or 6).  The independent only child in me resisted – I want total say in what I order, not 1/4 say, and if there’s a dish I really want I want it all, not 1/4 of it.  Besides, with the Nuh-Uh Girl sitting across from me, I knew I’d be sharing my food anyway.  The people to my left and right, however, went family style.  They ordered a variety of dishes – chicken alfredo, lasagna, salmon sherry piccata, formaggio manicotti – and I did not hear a bad word about any of the food from any of them.

I was too full for dessert, but I saw tiramisu, canneloni, and some flavor of cheesecake (can’t recall) come out for other people at the table.  Looked delicious, and again, I didn’t hear a bad word about it.

So that was the food.  Now let me talk about the service, which was also top-notch.  We called them in advance and told them we had a large double birthday party coming in, and as soon as we sat down they brought out two complimentary appetizer samplers consisting of bruschetta, toasted ravioli, and mozzarella parmesan.  That made a great first impression.  Our drink glasses stayed full all evening, and the food came out as quickly as could be expected given the large size of our group.

When it was time to pay our tab, our server was happy to split our check up, even though with a party of 17 she would’ve had every right to complain or to refuse to do it altogether.  With people splitting family dinners and bottles of wine multiple ways, there was a lot of dividing of tabs, and our server handled it quickly and professionally.  Also, when we got our tickets no automatic gratuity had been added, even though with a party our size she would’ve been completely justified tacking on 20%.

Pa Pa Pia’s exceeded my expectations by miles and I’ll be back.  Since I work in the Falls Building, only 3 blocks away, I’ll make sure my co-workers know about it too.

David Ramsey, the man who provided the organ music at Memphis Redbirds games, died yesterday.  He was 68.  He was also a professor at Rhodes College, and I met him and got to know him personally when I worked in the Music Library there for my work-study assignment.  He was always a great guy to talk to, and his teaching and his music touched many lives.  He will be missed.  More info about Prof. Ramsey can be found here.

Found a website for Pa Pa Pia’s where my friends are having their birthday dinner tonight:  www.papapia’s.com.  It’s nice to be able to browse a restaurant’s menu in advance.  I usually try to get something classic like spaghetti when I try an Italian restaurant for the first time, but if I order the Chicken Saltimbocca, an order of spaghetti comes with it, so I can try two dishes for the price of one.

More info about the Flying Saucer’s 2008 Brews Cruise can be found here.  It’s May 3-8 in the western Caribbean, and costs range from $849 to $1299 depending on how nice a room you want.  Note that the cruise overlaps Beale Street Music Fest, so if you’re thinking about going be sure to factor that into your plans.

I have a little more info about the party at E&H next Friday to celebrate Silver’s life… it will start at 8 PM and that’s also Trolley Tour night, so the area will be busy.  The title of the party is “Silver Don’t Play,” which was one of his Silverisms.  There’s an evite for the party, so if you want to come and haven’t received it, e-mail paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll add you.  It’s still not too late to buy SilverWear to wear to the party.  Updated info on that – profits from the sale of these items will go to Ballet Memphis, which was one of Silver’s favorite organizations.

Weird link of the day:  How to survive an encounter with an ostrich.

I’ll be at happy hour at the Saucer from 5 to 6:55.  Redhook Blonde is the Fire Sale, or at least it was when I walked by and peeked in the window at lunch.

Next Friday, January 25, there will be a party at Earnestine & Hazel’s to celebrate the life of Silver, the colorful South Main hairstylist who passed away January 9. In his honor, some of his friends have created SilverWear, a boutique featuring clothing with Silverisms on them – “That what I’m talking about!”, “Don’t play!”, “Why are you so beautiful?”, and many more. They’re asking as many people as possible to order SilverWear and wear it to the party. Any profit from the clothing sales will go to a local charity for the arts.

It’s 7:45 as I type this and I’m up bright and early and ready for a full day at work. Just thought I’d point that out since people were questioning last night whether I could stay out past 1:00 and still make it to work on time. My last 4 beers last night were Woodchuck Pear Ciders, and I’m wondering if all the sugar in them is what’s making me feel so peppy this morning.

Congrats to the Tennessee Volunteers on their fine victory over Vandy last night. Not that I normally give a flying crap about the Vols, but I want them to be as highly ranked as possible when they lose to the Tigers in a few weeks.

Time for work.

1:16 AM:  One of my drinking buddies does purchasing for a very large shipping company headquartered here in town.  So tonight I got to the Saucer about 7 and he was sitting on the rail.  “My suppliers are an hour and a half late,” he told me.  His suppliers, because he has control over huge contracts, kiss his ass.  They take him to Texas de Brazil, buy him the $30 beer at the Saucer, send him cases of steaks, and so on.

An hour later they showed up, apologized for being late, and got a round of beer.  Then they closed their tab, because they wanted to take my friend out to eat.  “Paul, you come too!” they said.  “Do you like ribs?  We’re going to the Rendezvous.”  DO I LIKE RIBS???  So I tagged along with them and ate ribs and drank beer while they negotiated the purchase of mechanical parts, using the word “fuck” on average twice per sentence.  About once every 30 seconds my friend threatened to take their contract away.  It was fascinating.

The high point of the evening, though, occurred after I thanked them for the dinner and walked back to the Saucer.  I was standing at the bar, and over at the server station, one of the waitresses was feeling another waitress’s boob.  It appeared she was measuring her for something.  There seemed to be a towel involved.  I’ll leave the rest to your imagination, it’s better that way.  Saucer was deader than a doornail despite a very good band (White Noise Theory).  As I left, the waitress who got groped and her mini-me flipped me off.  Nothing like a kind send-off from the staff of the bar where I just spent $23.

On deck:  Information on how to order SilverWear.  That’s what I’m talking about!

Want to smash stuff and get away with it?  The First United Methodist Church is looking for volunteers to help them with demolition, beginning this Saturday at 9 AM.  The church was destroyed by fire in 2006 and unsalvageable parts of it need to be torn down before rebuilding can begin.  Work will begin on the Pepper Building at Second and Exchange, and tools will be provided.  Questions, call Sharon Ammons at (901) 260-1160.  The church will save $75,00 by doing the demolition themselves.

One of my media contacts told me that he’s now hearing late February-early March as the projected opening date of the Blue Monkey Downtown. February-March of what year? I think Memphis Limelight has the best projected time for the Monkey’s reopening – perpetually two months from now.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has its first meeting of the year tonight at TJ Mulligan’s. There will be a State of DNA address, introductions of the 2008 board and music by Nora & Guy. Free for members, $5 nonmembers. Social at 6:30, program at 7.

Just received an e-mail that Itta Bena, on the third floor of BB King’s, will start a happy hour beginning today. Happy hour will run from 5-7 PM Monday-Friday and will feature $5 well drinks (Absolut, Tanqueray, Jim Beam, Johnnie Walker Red, Bacardi Light, and Zapopan Tequila) and $10 martinis. The Citrus Raspberry Martini and Green Tea Martini were mentioned as particular standouts.

A couple of times a week I get e-mail from out-of-towners and people who live in other parts of the city, asking for restaurant recommendations Downtown. Lately I’ve listed Itta Bena as my top choice for those looking for a quality meal in a place with a cozy, unique atmosphere. I also list the Majestic Grille, Circa, and LoLo’s Table as other top recommendations, along with EP’s if you get there early enough to avoid the nightclub crowd. For seafood I send ’em to Pearl’s; for sushi I send ’em to Bluefin; for casual dining I send ’em to Big Foot Lodge, or possibly Huey’s if they’re from out of town and have never been to a Huey’s. That’s basically my response to all of those queries.

I’m meeting friends for a double birthday dinner at Pa Pa Pia’s on Union tomorrow night and will give it a fair and honest review. Many of you know I’m not a fan of a nearby restaurant owned by the same management company, but I won’t let that influence my review of PPP’s. Honestly, most of the feedback I’ve heard from others about PPP’s has been positive – they’ve liked the food and said it was surprisingly inexpensive. I look forward to trying it myself.

Not sure what I’ll get into after work.  The Fire Sale at the Saucer today is Old Scratch, which doesn’t exactly send me running down there.  Circa’s Thursday happy hour special is the least appealing of the entire week to me – $2 off single-barrel scotch – and besides, bartender extraordinaire House has the night off.  No Grizzlies or Tigers game to watch.  I’ll find something to do, I’m sure.  It’s a safe bet that I’ll stop by the Saucer to say hello to my waitresses and have at least one beer at some point.  On Thursdays it’s always a good possibility that I’ll put in an appearance at Hoop’s Bar/EP’s too.

Debating whether to pick up food from Court House Deli or make a return trip to McAlister’s for food to take back to my desk.  Most likely the length of the line at Court House will be the determining factor.

The Memphis Chamber of Commerce is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 5:30 to commemorate the grand opening of Hollywood Disco, the club most of us know as Raiford’s. I wonder if 40s have ever been served at a Chamber event before.

The 9th annual Polar Bear Plunge will happen February 2 on Mud Island. Dozens of brave swimmers will jump in freezing-cold water in support of the Special Olympics. Kennedy from Q107.5 is participating, and if you’d like to sponsor her swim you can do so here. Or, you can take the plunge yourself and find sponsors to donate in your honor.

If you’re interested in getting some expert analysis on the ongoing presidential primaries, make plans to be at Rhodes College on the 23rd. Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report and named by the New York Times as one of the best political handicappers in the nation, will speak in room 051 of the Paul Barret, Jr. Library from 7:30 to 8:45 that night. The lecture is presented by Rhodes’ Political Science department and is free and open to the public.

Circa will start serving lunch again February 1st.  Their patio will be open as well.  Unlike many upscale restaurants, Circa will not cut its lunch off at 2 and close and reopen at 5.  Rather, they’ll do lunch 11-4, bar snacks 4-5, and the dinner menu from 5 to close.

The Nashville Business Journal reports that the Nashville Metro Council unanimously passed an ordinance against aggressive panhandling last night, and it now goes to the mayor to be signed. The ordinance for the most part is similar to the one in Memphis – no panhandling after dark or at bus stops – but there are a couple of provisions that seem like great ideas. The main one is, NO BEGGING WITHIN 25 FEET OF BUILDING ENTRANCES. If we had that one here, we could pretty much run the bums off the Main Street Mall – it’s hard to stand anywhere on the pedestrian mall without being within 25 feet of a building entrance. It would clean up Beale Street too for the same reason. Great idea. Also, the ordinance makes it illegal to panhandle at ATMs, which happens all the time on Beale Street.  Of course, no matter what is in the ordinance, it’s worthless without a police department that aggressively enforces it.

Looks like Atlanta’s bums use a lot of the same gimmicks as the bums right here in Downtown Memphis. This Street-People.com article reports about an Atlanta bum doing the Sharp Dressed Bum gimmick (wearing neat casual attire, rather than dressing like a homeless person as many professional panhandlers do). He also did the Tour Guide gimmick, pointing out restaurants in the area and then asking for a dolla as a tip. When it started raining, he switched to the Bum-brella gimmick, running up to people and holding an umbrella over their heads, and then asking for a tip. All of these gimmicks can be seen every day on the streets of Downtown Memphis.

Even cartoon characters are being panhandled these days. Check out this Blondie cartoon.

How many times is North Carolina going to barely escape with a win and still hold on to their #1 ranking?  They held off Georgia Tech 83-82 last night.  Meanwhile #2 Memphis continues to dominate ranked and unranked teams alike.

Time for the long commute to work…

Here are a couple of links pertaining to The Nuh-Uh Sister’s $47,500 win on Wheel of Fortune last night:

WMC-TV 5 interview with The Nuh-Uh Sister

The Nuh-Uh Sister’s Contestant Diary on the Wheel of Fortune’s site

One of the RSS feeds I subscribe to is “How-To of the Day.”  Some of these How-Tos are pretty unusual and interesting.  Here are a few recent ones:

How to drink absinthe

How to respect a transgender person

How to make a laptop bag from cardboard

Here’s a photo gallery of the new MacBook Air which made its debut at the annual MacWorld Expo this week.  It weighs three pounds and is 3/4 of an inch at its thickest at the rear hinge, 2/10 of an inch in front.

#2 Memphis plays Rice tonight at 7 PM.  The Rice basketball team is in a shambles right now and this looks to be an ass-whoopin’ of mammoth proportions.  The Flying Saucer has been handing out “free pizza if the Tigers score 100” coupons at recent games, and if they do it tonight I have a feeling they’ll be serving up a lot of pizza.  I have a feeling this could be the highest score in Tiger history.

Speaking of the Saucer, don’t forget, it’s Stella Artois glass night at the Saucer tonight at 7.  That may or may not be where I go to watch the game; it depends on my opinion of their $2.75 Fire Sale beer.  I don’t need any more Stella glasses so that won’t be a factor in my decision.

It’s $8 wine flight happy hour at Circa tonight, so I’ll probably stop by there for a flight sometime between 5 and 7.  I usually request three wines of a particular variety, such as dry red, sweet white, etc.  But their bartender House does such a good job selecting wines that this week I’m not going to give him any parameters at all – just “pick ’em.”  I’m not a wine expert yet but I’m learning.  Last time I was there on a Wednesday I learned the difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio, which I previously thought were the same thing.  Since my phone has Wi-Fi capability, I’ll hop on Wikipedia and read about the wines as I drink them.

Circa, by the way, will be featured on this month’s Definitely Downtown! TV show, hosted by “That Other Downtown Guy,” Lee Warren.  Show will run at 11:05 PM on WPTY-ABC 24 on Sunday, January 27.

The Memphis Daily News reports that Barack Obama’s campaign has opened a campaign office in East Memphis and there will be a grand opening party tomorrow night.

Think I’ll do McAlister’s Deli for lunch today.  I was in there yesterday and saw a meatloaf parmesan sandwich on the menu.  That sounds perfect for a cold January day.