Restaurant Quick Hits: Do, Petra, Folk's Folly, Young Ave Deli

Do
First visit in over a year. The food was just as I remembered...very good. One thing that is lacking in the wine list. I would prefer to see a little more variety. Recommendations: Crunchy Spicy Crawfish Roll and sea weed salad is worth a try.

Petra
A nice little Greek/Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in East Memphis. It is located a couple of doors down from Swanky's near Poplar and Kirby. The Petra Gyro was very tasty and all options are reasonably priced.

Folk's Folly
I've had two visits at this Memphis favorite over the past few weeks. As expected the steaks are consistently excellent and the cheesecake may be the best in Memphis. Keeping up with my wine griping, the Folk's Folly has a tremendous wine line, but it seems to be a bit over priced. Several "wineys" that joined me at dinner last night agreed. My friends made a smart choice by bringing two cases of wine to the restaurant and paying the corkage fees. And yes, we did go through two cases of wine/champagne.

Young Avenue Deli
Had the burger for the first time. Give smoked gouda and bacon a try as your toppings next you have Young Ave's burger. Can't help but like the smoke-free environment.

Dave & Willie, Elvis Week and Kid Rock

Just a reminder about some upcoming Memphis concerts and Elvis Week. Dave Mathews and Willie Nelson are playing at Autozone Park on Saturday, August 2. Kid Rock will bring his act to Mud Island on Sunday, August 17. It's not too late to get tickets to both shows.

For all of you Elvis freaks, I mean fans, Elvis Week kicks off on August 9 and goes through August 17. This week guarantees endless people watching, especially at the annual candle light vigil that will be held on Friday, August 15.

Memphis Chain Restaurants: Hello Panera, Adios Steak & Ale?

I'm not a fan of chain restaurants, but I thought I would share some local news regarding this industry. First, Panera Bread has finally arrived in the Mid-South. The first Memphis area location will be in Cordova in the Trinity Common's strip mall. It was also announced today that Chick-fil-a will be opening a location on Union in Midtown.

On a not so positive note, it is rumored that East Memphis' Steak & Ale will be shutting its doors as a result of its parent company's bankruptcy filing.

Beating The Heat, Starbucks and Iris

Umm...if you haven't noticed, its a tad bit hot in Memphis today. Does 101 qualify as toasty? A good way to stay cool may be to go to the Flying Saucer for Pint Night.

On Friday, Starbucks announced that some of its Memphis area stores would be closing. The closings are just a handful of the 600 planned store closures nationwide. Check out the official list for more details.

I've been hearing nothing but good things about Restaurant Iris. The Commerical Appeal review of the fairly new Midtown restaurant only peaked my interest. The CA gave Iris 4 stars. Only the 6th restaurant to achieve this status. It looks like you can't go wrong with a John Besh influenced restaurant. I definitely need to check this place out.

Old Timers, Dark Knight, Blues on the Bluff, and Top 25 list

ESPN is surely playing a joke...right? As of this morning, the Shark was leading The Open. I honestly didn't realize he was still a professional golfer. What's next, a surprise Sunday rally by the legendary Chi-Chi Rodriquez? The feel good story is great, but the young guns need to man up and show that there is still talent on the PGA Tour without Tiger Woods.

For those that don't now, Greg Norman has been doing well lately with his wineries. I highly recommend Greg Norman Estates Chardonnay and Limestone Cabernet-Shiraz.

Side note...is Heath Ledger this generation's James Dean? Discuss among yourselves.

Onto Memphis fun. WEVL's Blues on the Bluff is this Staturday. This looks like fun. For information, visit WEVL.com.

WEVL is looking for volunteer djs/show hosts. Can I bring my ipod and hit shuffle? If so, count me in.

CNN/Money magazine released their top 25 cities for single people. Unfortunately, Memphis did not make the list. Memphis needs to start making more top 25 lists beyond college basketball polls and crime lists.

Snowden Grove Music & Bike Rally And A Dixie-Fried Top 10 List

Ticket’s go on sale on Friday, July 18 for Snowden Grove Amphitheater’s Music and Bike Rally. This three day rally host a variety of musical acts including Kanas, Saliva, Charlie Daniels and local favorite Aquanet. Don’t forget, motorcycles get free parking.





College football is right around the corner. To get you pumped up about the upcoming season, Dixie Fried Sports has an interesting take on some of the over and underrated traditions in southern college football.

And The Randomness Continues

Another One Bites The Dust

Per the Memphis Business Journal, Midtown’s French Quarter Inn is closing. This continues a trend of Overton Square area businesses either relocating or shutting their doors. There is still no word on plans for new tenants or redeveloping of Overton Square. One has to wonder what is next for French Quarter Inn…condos?


Return Of The Mack

John Calipari confirmed that the Memphis Tigers will allow Doneal Mack to return the basketball team. Mack had initially announced that he was transferring to New Orleans . UNO was counting on Mack to help the Privateers return the Sunbelt dominance that the Privateers had in the Earvin Johnson era.

Lost In The Clutter - Local Elections

With so much focus on the upcoming presidential election, some may have failed to remember that state and federal elections will be held on August 7. Don’t forget to register to vote and show up at the polls. It looks like the ballot will have several races.

Weekend Fun

Legendary musical act Earth Wind and Fire will entertain Memphians on Saturday, July 19 at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Tickets are still available. The venue is perfect for spreading out on the lawn and bringing your own food and beverages.


There Goes The Diet

After a recent horrendous round of golf, we stopped at BW3's near Highland for snacks and adult beverages. We decided to try the new Cheeseburger Bites appetizer. If you were hoping for sliders, you would have been dissappointed. Instead, these tastey bites are bite-sized balls of ground beef, cheese and onions that are battered and deep fried. Far from healthy, but oh so good. A friend compared them to bite sized Krystal hamburgers.

S.O.S. Now

Let your elected officials know that change is necessary to help reduce rising fuel and energy costs. Visit Stop Oil Speculation Now to see how you can help.

More Random Stuff

As many of you know, Muvico’s last day of operation at Downtown Memphis’ Peabody Place was this past Sunday. Over the past year or so, several leases were not renewed, paving the way for the expansion of the Peabody Hotel. It appears that Encore, Texas de Brazil, Jillian’s and a few retail stores will remain open in Peabody Place.

Per MSN.com, the bourbon business is booming. Apparently there is an increased demand for bourbon from over seas and just in time for National Bourbon Heritage Month (September). Remember to load up for football season. Speaking of bourbon, next time you are at a local bar ask for a Bogalusa . This is a simple shot of Wild Turkey chased with a shot of pickle juice. It sounds strange, but it is very tasty.

Concert Reminder: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are playing at the Mud Island Amphitheatre on Tuesday, July 8. This sounds like an interesting combination for a concert. Reviews at shows in other cities have been nothing but positive. Its not too late to get tickets.

New Season Of The First 48 Kicks Off Tonight

The new season of The First 48 kicks off tonight. The Commerical Appeal did confirm that the Lester Street massacre will be included in the new season and will be aired in a special 1-hour episode on July 16 at 8pm central time. The CA also reported that MPD is open to renewing its contract with A&E if the opportunity should arise.

Correction: It appears that the Real Vice Cops Uncut show will feature the Shelby County Vice Squad, not the MPD.

Memphis Vice Squad To Be Featured In New TV Series

The Memphis Business Journal is reporting that the Memphis Police Department's Vice Squad will be featured on Spike TV's new series "Real Vice Cops Uncut." The new series starts August 6.

This will be the second tv series featuring Memphis' finest. A&E's "The First 48" follows MPD's Homicide Unit to various crime scenes throughout Memphis. This will be MPD's last season on the A&E series. New episodes begin tomorrow.

Kid Rock Coming Back To Memphis

Kid Rock with special guest Rev Run of RUN DMC will return to Memphis on Sunday, August 17th. Tickets for this Mud Island Amphitheatre event go on sale on Saturday, June 28 at 10am.

Big Fun In Memphis This Weekend

In addition to the Canada Day celebration at Big Foot Lodge on Sunday, there are a few other fun things to do this weekend in the Memphis area. If you like free events, then you will be happy that it’s the last Friday of the month. The South Main Association will host their monthly Art Trolley Tour. South Main merchants and galleries typically open their doors and offer free snacks and adult beverages. This event is also good for people watching.

If you are up for some great 80’s college/indie music, then the Midtown Blue Monkey may be the place for you. Local band Walrus will take the stage Friday night. The guys from Walrus always put on a great show and they usually have a great crowd.

Local auto racing fans will have an opportunity to see the NASCAR Truck Series at the Memphis Motor Sports Park in Millington. The green flag will drop at the O’Rielly 200 at 8pm.

Random Stuff

Dan McGuiness has closed its Downtown Memphis location. Rumors have been floating around for over a year that the owner is trying to open a similar concept in the Midtown spot that used to be the home of Melo’s. It would be a great addition, but I think there would be a struggle to obtain the necessary permits to operate the business. The big issue will be parking. The Blue Monkey, Molly’s and Umai already struggle to satisfy the parking needs of their patrons. An additional bar/restaurant will make things a little tight in the area.

Next week, both the United States (July 4) and Canada (July 1) will celebrate Independence Day. Local Canadian-themed eatery Big Foot Lodge will help kick-off “Independence Week” on Sunday with $3 – 34 ounce Molson draught beer and $3 Canadian whiskey beverages.

The 2008 NBA Draft is this week. I don't claim to be a pro basketball expert, but the Grizzlies should try and trade the #5 selection packaged with Brian Cardinal (and his outrageous salary) to the highest bidder, but I’m sure this won’t happen. Barring any trades, the Grizzlies are expected to take UCLA’s Kevin Love with the 5th overall pick. They should probably take a guard with the 28Th pick, but I’m thinking they will take JJ Hickson from North Carolina State. Look for 3 former Memphis Tigers to be selected as well. A few mock draft sites are predicting that Derrick Rose will go to Chicago with the first overall pick, CDR #27 to New Orleans and Joey Dorsey in the second round to Sacramento.

Speaking of Tiger basketball, I was reading a Sports Illustrated article today about recruiting. It mentioned that John Calipari has set up a paid internship program with FedEx and that 25 Memphis Tiger basketball players have taken advantage of this opportunity. Is this open to all Memphis students? If so, wonderful. If not, it seems like this would be an NCAA violation. Athletes are not supposed to receive benefits that the average college student is unable to receive. Probably nothing to worry about, but you never know.

For those that care, I’m thinking the Bulldogs take the College World Series in 3 games. Go Fresno State!

Downtown Memphis Condo Auction – Saturday, June 21

The River Tower Condominium development will hold an inventory close-out auction of 44 condos. 10 are guaranteed to sell at the auction. Opening bids kick off Saturday, June 21 at 11am. River Town is a gated community near Downtown attractions like Beale Street and FedEx Forum. This might be a good time to pick up a great condo at a decent price. For more information about the auction, visit JPKing.com.

Belly Up And Join The Fun, Pub Olympics Less Than 2 Weeks Away

For those of you that don't know, Pub Olympics 2008 will be held on Sunday, June 22 at Hoops Bar located off of Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. Several beer drinking competitions will be held, including beer pong, quarters, tricycle racing, one man chug and team chug. I wonder if they will have DAS BOOT.

I've noticed a shortage of funnels at the hardware store and Blockbuster never has Revenge of the Nerds or Beerfest in stock, so I'm fairly confident that there have been teams training for this much anticipated event. For some, the skills necessary to win it all will just come naturally.

To enter a team or learn more about Pub Olympics 2008 visit Hoops Bar or call 901-827-1351.

Weekend Recommendations

Here are a few quick recommendations for this weekend in Memphis.

Friday Night

It’s the last Friday of the month, so the South Main Association will have their monthly Trolley Tour. The weather should be perfect for gallery hopping, people watching and adult beverages. As always, this event is free.

Memphis Italian Festival is always a good time. Like bbq fest, you have to know someone on a team to get into a team’s booth/tent. You can still have a good time if you don’t have team connections. The festival offers other activities, including live music. Visit their website for more info. Tickets are $10 and are available at the gate.

Saturday
Italian Festival continues. If you had enough pasta and mozzarella to last you for few weeks, you should check out Aquanet at the Downtown Flying Saucer. Aquanet is one of the best 80’s rock cover bands around. If you are a fan of this style of music, you will not be disappointed.

2008 Memphis Memorial Day Weekend Recommendations

If you don't have plans for the weekend, ML recommends a couple of fun options.

On Saturday night, head down to Tom Lee Park for Memphis In May's Sunset Symphony. The Four Tops will join the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for an evening of fun on the river. There is also an air show before the music kicks off and fireworks usually follow the symphony. Gates open at 2pm. Remember that you can bring your own food and drink to this event, so be sure to load up the cooler with your favorite beverages and snacks.

If you didn't get enough of Downtown Memphis on Saturday, then you should stick around and go the Redbirds game on Sunday evening. Gametime is 6:05 with a special fireworks celebration after the game. If you don't want to pay ballpark prices for beer, stop by Bigfoot Lodge for $2 34oz Coors Light draught beer before the game. This special runs all day on Sunday.

With the first pick, the Memphis Grizzlies select...

For those who forgot that Memphis has a NBA team, the professional league held its draft lottery tonight. Because of their not so great record, the Grizzlies has had a 27.9% chance to get the first or second overall pick. Was lady luck on their on side in the quest to acquire Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley? Not tonight. The Grizzlies will have the 5th overall pick in the 2008 draft.

And the quest for Derrick Rose goes to:

Here's how we see the Top 5 picks of the 2008 NBA draft going down:

1 - Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose
2 - Miami Heat - Michael Beasley
3 - Minnesota Timberwolves - Brook Lopez
4 - Seattle Sonics - OJ Mayo
5 - Memphis Grizzlies - Jerryd Bayless

The Grizzlies also have an additional selection late in the first round.