Sunday update

When diner 3rd & Court opened last month, we were told there were plans to eventually open a bar in the downstairs of the location. The Memphis Flyer reports that will happen Labor Day weekend. Owner Ryan Trimm is planning for the place to be an old-style juke joint with vinyl and live music, soul and funk from the 60s and 70s. He says that will mean you will hear music from names like Rufus Thomas and Otis Redding. There will be a cocktail menu but you will also just be able to get “a shot of Jack and a cold PBR.” PBR? Sounds like Trimm is aware who lives nearby!

There will be a Cupcakes & Cocktails Dinner in the Underground Room at Bardog Tavern this Thursday, July 18. This is a partnership between Two Girls and a Whip and Bardog, pairing four of Two Girls’ cupcakes (three savory, one sweet) with cocktails by Bardog’s mixologists. The theme for this one is summertime food and drink. The menu:

* Cheddar chipotle corn cake filled with beans and topped with cold slaw and pulled pork and a bbq sauce drizzle

* Loaded baked potato salad cake with fried chicken and a roasted corn topper, drizzled with remoulade

* Smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese cake with a roasted broccoli casserole and brisket on top, finished with an onion tomato salad drizzle

* Sangria cupcake filled with a red wine reduction

The cost is $40 and there are seatings at 6:00 and 6:45. Advance reservations are mandatory; make them by calling 901-472-2253.

Speaking of Bardog, I was in there yesterday and they had ESPN2 on. This is the time of year when the NBA and NHL playoffs are over, as are the college baseball and softball playoffs, but it’s not yet NFL preseason. Meaning, this is the period when all kinds of random content shows up on the ESPN family of channels. There was a women’s cornhole tournament yesterday and sponsors’ company names appeared on the boards. At the top of the boards it read, “DEVOUR hims.” Kudos to the board designers on the sexual innuendo, whether intentional or not.

Also, while at Bardog yesterday, I saw a T-shirt: “On a juice cleanse #mimosas” Yes! That is the proper way to do it! Bonus points to the wearer of the shirt if they got Bardog’s classic steak & eggs breakfast with their mimosas.

In even more Bardog news, registration for the Breakaway-Bardog 5K is now open. It will be at 9 AM Sunday, August 18, 2019. This race is a fundraiser for St. Jude that in conjunction with Monroe Avenue Fest later that day, raises tens of thousands of dollars for the children’s hospital. If you’re a runner, join the race and help ensure that no family ever receives a bill for their child’s treatment. You’ll be treated to one of the best post-race parties of the year for your efforts.

MemphisWeather.net has an update on Tropical Storm Barry’s impact on the Mid-South.

There will be a celebration in Health Sciences Park on Friday, June 26 at lunchtime for the wrap-up of Memphis Medical District Week. Live music by the J Buck Band. Food trucks Gourmet Grillers and Moe’s will be there. There will be games and the first 100 attendees get free MemPops, and after that they will be for sale. Free MemPops? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

I usually am a big fan of the Peabody’s programming, but not this time: Tennessee Vols athletic director Phillip Fulmer to serve as honorary duckmaster. NOOOOOOO! Why in the world would you want that kind of crowd in The South’s Grand Hotel? There are so many people in West Tennessee who would be much better duckmasters! U of M president M. David Rudd would make an excellent duckmaster, just to throw out an idea. It’s not too late to tell Fulmer to hop on the John Deere and ride back to K-ville.

If you live in Downtown Memphis, from time to time you are approached by homeless (and “homeless”) people seeking help. Here’s a good article by Distractify: Former homeless people share what help was most useful to them.

I am out of time, so that’s the end of this post. I may take a day off tomorrow but I’ll be back with more news no later than Tuesday,