Paul Ryburn's Journal

Yesterday in the Commercial Appeal, there was an article about four proposed projects to fill in the big, muddy hole at 100 S. Main, former home of the Cook & Love shoe store and of some abandoned buildings that burned in the late 1990s. The hole was to be filled by a 28-story apartment complex called The Vue, but the project was abandoned when funding could not be secured.

After looking at the four proposals, the one that I think would be best for Downtown Memphis is the 20-story apartment-and-retail building proposed by Riverside Partners. Here are the reasons why, as a long-time Downtown resident, this one looks best to me.

First of all, this development would have the most apartment units (202) of any of the four proposals. The people involved correctly assessed that there are not enough apartment units in the core of downtown, as many of the existing units are being converted to condos. With downtown thriving and more restaurants and entertainment options being added all the time, I have no doubt they would be able to fill those apartment units.

Also, building apartments rather than condos will increase diversity downtown. More and more, downtown is approaching as situation where people can’t afford to live there unless they can purchase a condo for $200K or more, or write a four-digit rent check every month for one of the few remaining apartments. There are a few exceptions, but those apartments are becoming harder and harder to find. I want to have artists and musicians as my neighbors downtown; I want to have people in education as my neighbors; I want the people who work service-industry jobs downtown to be able to live nearby and walk to their jobs. Therefore, I’m happy to see more apartments being planned.

The Riverside Partners proposal also contains more square feet of retail space (about 14,000) than any of the others. There are still plenty of retail opportunities yet to be adequately addressed (GROCERY STORE!!! BOOKSTORE!!! DRUGSTORE THAT STAYS OPEN LATER THAN EIGHT FREAKIN’ P.M.!!!) downtown, and making as much space as possible in the downtown core, on the trolley line, is a good thing. The project does not include any hotel or office space, but several other hotels are currently being built nearby, and as far as I’ve heard there’s no lack of office space in the area.

In addition, three of Riverside’s partners (Darrell, Cardell, and Eric) are people I’ve known and worked with in Mpact Memphis for the past five years. They’re people of strong character, and I know that when they propose projects, they’re looking to enrich the community as well as themselves.

Also, this is the only of the four proposals that has 100% minority involvement. In a city like Memphis, that’s extremely important.

They have solid financial backing in place, through a real estate brokerage and finance firm out of Dallas, so it’s unlikely the deal would fall through like the Vue did. They also have a partner on their team who runs the Washington, DC Minority Business Development Center. Sounds like they’ve assembled a capable team.

So, if anyone from the Center City Commission reads this – and I know my blog is read regularly at the CCC – consider this some citizen feedback. I can’t speak for all Downtowners, but this is the project at least one Downtowner would like to see.

Coming tonight: My recommendations for a fun New Year’s Eve downtown, how to have fun without dealing with pushy crowds and high cover charges.

Last week, I posted an article about Best Buy moving to a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) at its corporate offices. Under this system, employees are not required to be at the office during mandatory work hours – they can do their work when and where they choose, and they are measured by their performance, not by their presence. Companies that have adopted ROWE have seen a significant increase in employee performance, as well as a decrease in employee turnover.

CultureRx, a consulting company that helps other companies convert to ROWE, has a presentation on their website explaining how ROWE works (requires Flash). If you’re an entrepreneur or corporate manager, or if you’re an employee who loves your job but hates Cubicle World, I encourage you to check out this site.

Quote from the site: “If Einstein developed his Theory of Relativity in 1 hour, would you make him sit at his desk 7 more?”

Great to see companies thinking outside the box. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of cubicle culture.

Thanks to one of my regular blog readers, who shall remain anonymous, who helped me realize that I mis-labeled the flavors emanating from the Lienenkugel (I spelled that drunk, can you believe that) Summer Wheat. It’s not cherry flavored as I first speculated, but blueberry. If you were at Pint Nite tonight you could’ve had it for $2.50 – otherwise it’s $4.

Walking to the Saucer tonight, I saw the following sign in the window of Pancho’s:

That’s right, Downtown Pancho’s has CLOSED. That’s a shock – they’ve been around forever. Granted, their food was pretty awful, but after 5 or 6 or 8 margaritas, who noticed? They were one of the first restaurants downtown – wonder if the rent got too high, especially in the face of competition from Rio Loco and The Happy Mexican.

So anyway, I made it down to the Flying Saucer for Pint Nite. (I wonder if blog reader “Stan” will accuse me of taking payoffs from the Saucer to promote the place. Now that I think about it, as much as I mention them they probably should pay me off.) Hung out with two of my regular blog readers for a while, one of whom is mentioned above at the beginning of this post. She pointed out that if Sunset Wheat does indeed have a blueberry taste, it should be considered a breakfast beer. (“It’s like a blueberry muffin in a glass.”)

She want on to provide a classic Thanksgiving quote (yes I know it’s December and therefore a month past Thanksgiving). “I’m not a fan of cranberry sauce. The only way I eat cranberries is with vodka.” Now that’s a true Downtown Memphis quote if I ever heard one.

Later in the evening I hung out with regular blog readers Kyle and Clonts. By that point it had gotten jam-packed at the Saucer; you could tell college was out for the semester. Here are a couple of pics, taken about 11:30:

Kyle pointed out that one of the regulars’ favorite Saucer beers from Halloween/Thanksgiving, Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale, is no longer available at the Saucer, but is on sale for $3.99 a six-pack at the Avenue at Carriage Crossing in East Bumblefuck.

The warm weather continues, and we had a tube top sighting at the Saucer on December 18! Nice!

My regular blog reader from the early evening and I discussed ways to write off our purchases on our taxes. Her take was that you can write off medical expenses, and alcohol (being a drug) qualifies as a medical expense. My take is, part of the money I spend at the Saucer helps deserving college students pay for tuition. It’s just that I choose to support the subset of the college community that wear miniskirts. And serve me beer. Oh, and also, from August to October some of the money I spent at the Saucer went toward the “Feed Romania” project. That’s charitable, isn’t it?

And that’ll do it for this drunk post. After I finish my can of Campbell’s Fajita Chicken soup, I’ll be headed off to bed for almost 6 hours of sleep! And then I get to go sit in a cubicle again! Yay!

The new charges deal with consulting contracts he had with two TennCare companies, netting him $800,000, while at the same time he was chairing a State Senate committee that oversaw TennCare.

The full story is available here on WREG’s web site.

Saturday as I headed to Beale Street for the Christmas parade, I happened across a new restaurant called Crepe Maker. It’s at the corner of Third and Peabody Place in the Hampton Inn, in the space where Corky’s BBQ used to be and before that Fat City Beignets.

I went back there Sunday and ate and got a copy of their menu. They have about 20 entree crepes ranging in price from $4.95 to $7.45. A few entree crepe examples:

Steak Milanese – Marinated steak, Virginia baked ham, sweet red onions, melted cheddar, vine ripe tomatoes, romaine lettuce, topped with steak sauce – $7.45

Opulence – Marinated chicken breast, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, portabella mushrooms, spinach, fresh basil, melted mozzarella – $7.45

Havana Chicken – Marinated chicken breast, season black beans, sweet red peppers, cheddar and jack cheese, fresh lettuce, vine ripe tomatoes, pesto sauce, and cilantro – $6.75

Mediterranean Tuna – Dolphin safe tuna, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, olives, fresh baby leaf spinach, vine ripe tomatoes, and fresh basil – $7.25

Below is a pic of the Southwest crepe I had for lunch:

It comes in wrapping paper and you pick it up and eat it with your hands, kind of like you would a pita sandwich.

Any entree crepe can also be made as a salad.

They also have about 15 dessert crepes, ranging in price from $4.25 to $6.25. A few examples:

Nutty Caramel Apple – Fire roasted apples, topped with dulce de leche, sprinkled with cinnamon, walnuts and powdered sugar – $4.95

Frankie – Freshly sliced bananas, Nutella chocolaty spread, melted Reese’s pieces, real whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon – $4.95

Bad Girl – Sweet sliced strawberries, dulce de leche, powdered sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and a dash of Grand Marnier – $4.95

They also have a selection of egg crepes, served all day long ($4.50 to $4.95), and crepes a la mode ($5.50 to $5.95).

Crepe Maker has a website, but they didn’t include the most important thing a restaurant should put on its website – a menu. So you’ll have to go by their location at Third and Peabody Place and pick up a menu for yourself. They’re open at 7 AM everyday, close at 7 PM Mon-Thur, 9 PM Fri-Sat, 5 PM Sun.

Note to blog reader “Stan” who e-mailed, accusing me of taking payoffs from EP’s Delta Kitchen in exchange for saying nice things about them on my blog: I guess now you’ll accuse Crepe Maker of paying me off. By the way, that’s a hell of a gig your band has scheduled for New Year’s Eve, congratulations on that.

A lot of downtowners have walked by 99 S. Main the past few weeks, seen the image below in the window, and have wondered exactly WHAT is coming in February ’07.

My friends have been getting all excited, hoping for a fun new restaurant, or maybe a grocery store. Well, sorry to disappoint, but it ain’t gonna happen. They updated their window a few days ago, indicating that it will be the office of Main Street Dental.

I tried posting this one yesterday from my phone, but the Publish button wouldn’t work on the “new, improved” Blogger interface. Have I mentioned that I hate Blogger?

Yesterday I discovered a new beer at the Flying Saucer that is really, really good – Lienenkugel Sunset Wheat. It’s a wheat beer with fruity flavors – the taste is somewhere between orange and cherry. If you like Blue Moon, you’ll like the Sunset Wheat – in fact, I think it’s even better than Blue Moon. At 4 bucks, it’s relatively inexpensive too (or you can try one tomorrow at Pint Nite for $2.50).

Also, Beer Goddess Amy (waitress Amy, not bartender Mama Amy) invented a new “A-Team” beer mixer: Sunset Wheat and Framboise, topped with an orange slice. Only problem is, the mixture turns out somewhat pink in color, so it’s not a very manly drink.

I’m heading to Sleep Out’s in a little while for an abbreviated version of Sunday brunch (I should be out of there by noon), then I’ll spend all afternoon taking photos for my new website. Coming this week: Another new restaurant that has opened downtown (no it’s not Spindini, but yet another one), more info on the Results-Only Work Environment that eliminates clocks and cubicles, and a book that teaches “nice guys” how to be more successful with the opposite sex. It’s a beautiful Sunday! Get off your computers and go outside!

Dear Santa,

It’s supposed to go to 68 degrees here today and 73 tomorrow. All I want for Christmas is to keep this weather all winter long. Oh, and the ability to snap my fingers and have an order of the crawfish nachos from EP’s Delta Kitchen’s late night menu instantly appear.

Thanks,
Paul

For those of you coming downtown for the Christmas parade at 4, you might want to stick around after it’s over and head toward the river… there will be a Holiday Boat Parade presented by the Memphis Yacht Club on the river at 6:30. From what I’ve read, it sounds like the Riverside Drive walkway across from the foot of Mud Island will be the best place to see the boats. For those of you participating in the parade, be careful not to hit the mana… oh, wait, he’s already dead, nevermind.

Speaking of EP’s… Dani will be singing there Tuesday night. I remember hearing her at one of the 2005 Court Square concerts, and she has an amazing voice. Maybe I’ll head down there and catch part of her show after trivia at the Saucer.

Also, EP’s has their special New Year’s Eve dinner menu on their site. They have a 3-course and a 4-course option. If you go to their main page, you’ll see a banner you can click to pull up the menu. Grilled venison tenderloin is one of the options on the 4-course dinner… yum!

Just discovered that Abyssinia, the Ethopian restaurant on Poplar that I keep meaning to go visit but for some reason never get there, has their menu online. They have a lunch buffet on the weekdays, and that place is like a 2-minute drive from where I work. Dude, I am so there one day next week!

I’m heading out to take some photos of Downtown for my new website, and to catch the parade. I’ve been wearing a Santa hat every day this week, but I won’t be able to wear it today… you see, I’m meeting some friends at Swig for drinks tonight, and they have their incredibly stupid “Gentlemen, please remove your hats” rule. I guess I could wear the hat all day and take it off when I enter Swig, but then I’d be walking around with hat-hair, which is not good. So I guess I’ll leave the Santa hat at home. Anyway, I’m outta here, see you later!

If you visit Downtown Memphis and ask, “Where can I go to get a good burger?”, you’ll most likely be told to go to Huey’s. Huey’s has won every “Best of Memphis” poll in the Best Burger category for years and years. They’re a local institution. And they deserve it – they make a fine burger.

However, if you were to ask me where to get the best burger downtown, I can think of at least six places that make burgers that are even better than Huey’s. Here they are, in no particular order:

Elliott’s – this is a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant on Second between Madison and Monroe. You can order a hamburger or cheeseburger and then dress it the way you want on their fixins’ bar/salad bar.

Big Foot Lodge – their Four Cheese Burger is my current addiction. I like to spend 50 cents extra and get it topped with mushrooms. Alternately, you could top it with bacon. Definitely not recommended by the American Heart Association as a healthy dining choice, but who cares? It’s so good. Big Foot is located on Second, in the row of restaurants across from the Peabody.

The Majestic Grille – what really pushes the Majestic’s burger into the land of hamburger superstardom is the parmesan shoestring fries that come with it. The Majestic is on Main just north of Peabody Place, perfectly located for dining before or after a show at the Orpheum or a Grizzlies game.

Dyer’s – the Double-Double is about as close to perfection as a hamburger can come. Their patties are very, very thin, so a Double-Double (double meat, double cheese) is about right for normal-sized appetites. If you’re hungry, get a Triple-Triple. Dyer’s is located on Beale between Third and Fourth, and is one of the best values for the money on the street.

Zanzibar – you wouldn’t expect the hamburger to be one of the standouts on their eclectic, arty menu, but stand out it does. The “Z-Burger” is one of the best I’ve had downtown. Zanzibar is in the South Main Arts District near the intersection of Main and Huling.

Earnestine & Hazel’s – you ain’t been to Memphis until you’ve had a “Soul Burger,” the lone item on E&H’s menu. My recommendation for a perfect Saturday night: Hit E&H about 11 for a Soul Burger, a cold beer, and some tunes on their legendary jukebox; then cruise about four blocks north on Main and turn right on Vance for dancing and a cold 40 at Raiford’s. E&H is at the corner of Main and G.E. Patterson in the South Main arts district.

Did I miss any downtown restaurants that have turned the burger into a culinary masterpiece? Shoot me an e-mail and let me know.

So last night I attended my apartment building’s Christmas party. Many of my neighbors work for FedEx, several in the marketing department in particular. So I always get to hear the latest rumors about what FedEx is up to. And last night I heard something HUGE.

They tell me that FedEx has agreed to pay $300,000,000 a year to become the title sponsor of Christmas. Starting in 2007, the holiday will be known as FedEx Christmas(TM).

“We’ve put our name on golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, arenas, even a football bowl game in the past,” one of the FedEx employees told me. “Signing on as the sponsor of a beloved holiday like Christmas is the next logical step.”

There will be some changes. Santa will no longer wear his red suit, but rather the purple-and-green uniform of a FedEx Ground delivery driver. His sleigh and reindeer will be replaced by a FedEx Ground delivery truck.

For now Santa’s name will remain “Santa Claus,” but I am told that at a future date Santa will be renamed, in order to better fit with FedEx’s global marketing and branding strategy. I am told that FedEx will hold a Give Santa a New Name contest, with people being given a contest entry each time they ship a package through FedEx or make a copy at FedEx Kinko’s. Winner will receive a free trip to the North Pole on a FedEx Express plane.

I asked my neighbors in FedEx Marketing how they would deal with the public outcry that is bound to arise over the change in Christmas’ image. “Well, you have to realize, this is not the first time a corporate marketing campaign helped to shape public perceptions of Christmas,” they told me. “Contemporary images of Santa came out of advertising by Coca-Cola. But we at FedEx feel it’s time to update that image. After all, how many kids have ever seen a reindeer? But they’ve seen a FedEx delivery truck. And a man in a big red suit is kind of scary – but the FedEx Ground delivery man, everyone knows he’s there to bring packages and presents and goodies.”

They told me they also have an extensive charitable campaign planned to build goodwill around the FedEx Christmas(TM) name. The company will be working with St.Jude locally to deliver FedEx Christmas(TM) presents to sick children, and it will also be donating money to serve FedEx Christmas(TM) dinner in homeless shelters around the world.

“You also have to understand, this was a smart business move for Santa,” I was told. “He’s getting up there in years, and running that toy factory takes a lot out of him. With the $300 million a year we’re paying him, he can simply go to the mall and buy all the presents, instead of making them himself. Or better yet, he can shop online and have the presents shipped via FedEx.”

They continued, “You also have to consider that this will allow Santa to lay off all his elves. This will reduce labor expenses, positively impacting Santa’s bottom line. You see, this sponsorship is truly a win for everyone.”

My neighbors went on to tell me of other planned changes. Although FedEx Christmas(TM) will usually remain on December 25, if the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday it will be moved to the following Monday, since FedEx generally does not deliver packages on the weekends.

Local hotels such as the Peabody who serve brunch or dinner on the holiday will be allowed to continue doing so, as long as they properly display the FedEx Christmas(TM) logo on all advertising and signage, and pay FedEx a licensing fee for the use of the name.

Lots selling FedEx Christmas(TM) trees will also have to display proper logos and pay the licensing fee. Those lots not wishing to pay the licensing fee can get around it by simply calling their trees “holiday trees.” Some lots plan to start selling Festivus poles – based on the famous “a Festivus for the rest of us” episode of Seinfeld – in protest, but FedEx’s legal team is already preparing a lawsuit to stop the practice, claiming that Festivus is a Christmas derivative.

FedEx Christmas(TM) carols will have to be rewritten. For example, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” will now become “We Wish You a Merry FedEx Christmas(TM).” Since FedEx is a global company, this change will have to be carried throughout the world – for example, “Feliz FedEx Navidad(TM)” in Spanish-speaking countries.

A big thank you to FedEx and other generous corporations for making the world a better place through their sponsorships. Merry FedEx Christmas(TM) to all, and to all a good night!