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Monday, May 02, 2011

Weather, BBQ Fest Moving, Grizzlies

Wow! Who else is sick of all the rain?  Unfortunately, the Mississippi River continues to take on water and will crest in Memphis around May 10. Hopefully the flooding won't be as bad as predicted. On the bright side, we should have beautiful, spring-like weather for the weekend.

The anticipated flooding has already impacted one Memphis in May event. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (BBQ FEST) has been moved from Tom Lee Park to Tiger Lane in Midtown. Tiger Lane is a sweet addition that the University of Memphis added to the fairgrounds near Liberty Bowl Stadium. This move has to hurt all of the Downtown bars and restaurants that were anticipating overflow from the competition. Midtown bars need to step up and welcome crowds. 

How about those Grizzlies? They continued to impress everyone yesterday against Oklahoma City. Game 2 of the second/conference semi-final round is tomorrow night at 8:30. Max's, Next Door and Dan McGuiness should be great places to watch the game.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Vodka Tasting Update, Grizzlies Tonight

Hope everyone made it through the night safely after another round of storms. Any bets if there will be rain for music fest next weekend?

The Three Olives Vodka Martini & Cocktail Tasting that was scheduled for tonight at Cafe Society has been rescheduled for Wednesday May 18 at 6:30pm.

The Grizzlies will try to win game two of the their playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs tonight. A couple of good places to watch the game will be Sweet Grass' Next Door and Max's. 


Friday, April 15, 2011

Art Walk, Hot Wings, Crawfish and Grizzlies

There's lots of fun events going on this weekend. Here a few to keep your eye on.

Broad Avenue Spring Art Walk - Friday, April 15
10 Art Exhibits, 12 local artists join for the evening at the Artist Market and music by Dynaflow. There will also be a fun wine tasting fundraiser. Admission is free and food/drink will cost you a few bucks.


Southern Hot Wing Festival on Saturday from 10am to 6pm at South Main and G E Patterson. This is usually a fun event, with great people watching. You can usually sample the wingsfrom each team for a small donation to a charity. Otherwise, the event is sort of like BBQ fest. You have to know someone on a team in order to sample the food and get free drinks. Beer and other food is available for purchase from local vendors. There is also a nominal admission fee.

The Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival is Sunday afternoon from 12-6 at Wagner Place between Union and Beale. This free admission event is usually one of the best festivals in Memphis. If the weather is good, you can expect great people watching and an annual visit to the Pier.

The Grizzlies also kick off their playoff run on Sunday at noon against the San Antonio Spurs. With the Grizzlies playing on the road, Sunday Funday at local bars might be packed for the game. The Grizzlies will host games three and four of the best of seven series on Saturday, April 23 and Monday, April 25. If necessary, game six will be played in Memphis on Friday, April 29.

Don't forget, there is plenty of time to get your favorite Grizzlies and NBA playoffs gear. Just click the banner below.

Get your 2011 NBA Playoff Gear at FastBreakFanatics

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Grizzlies, Crawfish, Baseball, Next Door

With last night's win over Sacramento, the Grizzlies clinched a spot in the playoffs. The next few games are important for seeding purposes. At this point, it might be better to be the #8 seed and face the struggling San Antonio Spurs. If the Grizz move up to #7, then Memphis would face the hot Lakers. Let's pull for #8.

Today's weather is perfect for the Overton Square Crawfish festival (noon til 6). There should be plenty of people out there for the fest. If you are looking for a smaller crawfish event, the High Point Pub is having a crawfish boil from 5 til 1am.

If crawfish isn't your speed, then baseball might be a good option. The Redbirds are in town and the University of Memphis is hosting #14 Southern Miss all weekend. The Tigers won in dramatic fashion last night, so the next couple of days could generate some fierce play.

Finally! Midtown has a sports bar. Cooper Young's Sweet Grass has opened Next Door (literally next door to Sweet Grass), a higher end sports pub. They have a great drink selection, lots of tvs with all of the sports packages and a nice menu. Highly recommend is the burger, which comes with deep fried pimento cheese. Add a fried egg to that and you are set. Other recommendations are the chicken and waffles and the french fries fried in duck fat.

King of Leon tonight. Anyone else going?

Monday, April 04, 2011

3 OIives Tasting and Lots of Music

Cafe Society is hosting a 3 Olives Cocktail & Martini Tasting on Wednesday, April 20th at 6:30pm. The cost is $25 plus tax and tip. After today's weather, this might be a perfect way to get things going again later in the week.

It looks like most, if not all, of the Memphis spring/summer music series have been announced. There are some fun and interesting bands coming to town.


SNOWDEN GROVE CONCERT SERIES

April 15: Pat Green
April 16: Steel Magnolias
May 24: Whitesnake

May 26: Kenny Chesney
June 3: Poison
June 9: Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown

For more information, go to snowdengroveamphitheater.com


LIVE AT THE GARDEN


June 4: ZZ Top
June 25: Steve Miller Band
July 8: Michael McDonald with Bozz Scaggs

July 22: Huey Lewis and the News
August 12: Goo Goo Dolls with Michelle Branch

For more information, go to liveatthegarden.com
2011 LEVITT SHELL SPRING FREE CONCERT SERIES


May 19: Civil Twilight
May 20: Rebirth Brass Band

May 21: Dor L'Dor
May 22: Ray Wylie Hubbard
May 24: The Verve Pipe


May 26: George Porter Jr. and Runnin' Pardners
May 27: Jimmy Davis
May 28: Aubrey Ghent
May 29: Yoro Ndiaye
May 31: Jack & the Zinghoppers
June 2: Mindy Smith
June 3: Papa Grows Funk


June 4: Eric Lindell
June 5: Jazz Orchestra of the Delta
June 7: Bob Dorough
June 9: Lost Bayou Ramblers
June 10: Thalia Sanchez & Mariachi America
June 11: Di Anne Price and Her Boyfriends
June 12: Tab Benoit
June 14: Trout Fishing in America
June 16: The Spring Standards
June 17: Carolyn Wonderland
June 18: The Bo-Keys
June 19: Brave Combo
June 21: New Ballet Ensemble

For more information, go to levittshell.org

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Live at the Garden, Kooky News, Memphis Sports Fans

Although the official announcement for this year's Live at the Garden series will not be until April 1, the following shows have been confirmed.

June 25 - Steve Miller Band

July 8 - Michael McDonald with Boz Scaggs

There are also rumblings that Huey Lewis and the News will be playing on July 22.


One of the only negatives at Kooky Canuck has been the lack of quality TVs. As of tonight, this is no longer a problem. Kooky Canuck isntalled 5 new 37" flat screens above the bar all HD and all with the Comcast premium sports package. Good job guys! Now if only they would add TVs to the back room.


Grizz crowd on Monday
Where's the Blue?

What's the deal with Memphis sports fans? Not just Grizzlies fans, but Tigers fans too. The Grizzlies are in the playoff hunt and the turnout Monday night was less than half full and it wasn't against a lower tier team. At least there were some Grizzlies fans in attendance. 

Where were the Tigers fans at Autozone Park last night for Memphis' baseball game against Arkansas? The crowd easily favored the Razorbacks 20 to 1 and that might a generous estimate. Yes, Memphis basketball attendance is incredible, but the lack of fan support shown last night and for football are one of the main reasons conferences like the Big East will always over look Memphis when considering expansion. Memphis sports fans on all levels should be embarrassed.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Basketball (Pearl, Tigers, Grizzlies), Hogs Coming To Town, Patio Season

It's official, Tennessee-Knoxville has fired head basketball coach Bruce Pearl. This was an easy decision, but also difficult for Vols fans. Pearl had to be fired for the violations he committed. Without him, the program should go back to being an average club. What should happen next? Athletic director Mike Hamilton should step down or be fired for the Pearl situation and the hiring and departure of Lane Kiffin.

The Tigers wrapped up their season on Friday with a loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Everyone seems to be jumping on the refs for the lack of a call, but several media sources at the game and the replays pretty much show that it was a clean block. Memphis should be improved next season, but that will only come if Joe Jackson picks up his game and shows more consistent play.

The Grizzlies are in action tonight at FedEx Forum against the Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies are in a fight to for the last playoff spot, with Utah right on their tails. This should be a great game and fans need to show up and be loud. If you haven't been to a game yet, you are definitely missing a great team to watch.

Weather this week should be perfect for Wednesday nights University of Memphis baseball game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at AutoZone Park. The Razorbacks have a strong club this season and Memphis has a decent club as well. Should be great weather and a great game.

Speaking of weather, the recent warm front has officially opened patio season at local restaurants and bars. Patios were festive yesterday for the first warm weather Sunday Funday of season.  Still trying to figure out where the best patio fun is. Bayou, Bhan Thai, Boscos, Brookhaven, Celtic Crossing, Flying Saucer and Majestic are always strong. Where else can you find good patio fun?

Friday, March 11, 2011

Japan Relief

If you are looking to help out the people of Japan, here are a few easy ways.

To give to the American Red Cross Japan relief fund, text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your mobile phone. You can also donate online.

Catholic Relief Services has also launched a relief effort in Japan, and you can donate here.

The Salvation Army is already responding on the ground and is you can text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation to their relief efforts.

Save The Children, which focuses its disaster aid on kids, is also accepting donations.

More St. Pat's, Hip Hop Legends, Tigers

Here's a St. Pat's party if you are looking for some Irish-inspired fun on March 17. The 6th Annual Green Carpet Sham-Rock Party at Kooky Cancuck starts at 11am on St. Patrick's Day. You can't beat the drink specials - 34oz Green Bud Light Draft for $3 and $5 Car Bombs. They will also give $100 to the person who wears the most green.


If you are a hip hop fan, you can't miss Salt-n-Pepa's Legends of Hip Hop Tour this Sunday at the DeSoto Civic Center. Outside of the headliner and Biz Markie, I honestly haven't thought about the other guys in years. This could be a very interesting show. Anyone going?

It's pretty safe to say that today will be a great happy hour day. No more work, decent weather and the Tigers will be on TV against East Carolina in the semi-finals of the Conference USA basketball tournament. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30, so get the running start towards the door just before quitting time. Today's winner takes on the the winner of the UTEP-Tulsa game in tomorrow's championship game.

The Memphis Tigers baseball team is also in action this weekend with three games against visiting St. Peter's at FedExPark. The weather should be perfect for baseball.
 





Here's a quick sampling of the Legends of Hip Hop.










Thursday, March 10, 2011

Tigers Play Today, St. Pat's, Jack Daniels Dinner

Josh Pastner and his Memphis Tigers basketball team will face Southern Miss for the third time this season in the quarter finals of the Conference USA tournament in El Paso. The Golden Eagles have given the Tigers fits in both games this year, but Memphis has found a way to come back and win in both contests. Prediction - Either USM will find a way to hold on to the lead and never look back or Memphis will blow them out. Tip off is set for 2:30pm and the game will be televised by CBS College Sports.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade on Beale is this Saturday (March 12) from 4pm to 7pm. This should be a big party kicking off St. Patrick's Day week. If you need a costume, its not too late to pick up some St. Pat's gear.

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, where is everyone going to celebrate next Thursday? Obvious choices are the traditional Irish pubs like Dan McGuinness, Celtic Crossing and The Dublin House. Where is your favorite St. Patrick's Day hangout? Let us know on Twitter.

The Grove Grill is hosting a "Bourbon Dinner in the Kitchen" on Friday, March 18 at 7:00pm. For $45 (plus tax and tip), you get four courses paired with beverages from Jack Daniels Distillery. Here's the menu:


Duck, pistachio and dried cherry terrine with dried fruit mustard

Jack Daniels

****

Lobster Bisque with eggplant caviar and bourbon crème fraiche

Angelo Lucchesi's Old No. 7

****

Wood Grilled Pork Loin with prosciutto wrapped grilled peaches and spring onions
and Habenero peach BBQ sauce

Single Barrel

****

Fuji Apple Tart Tatin with Gentleman Jack caramel sauce and brown sugar ice cream

Gentleman Jack

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Moustache March, Mardi Gras, Trimm - Sweet Grass

Check out what the University of Memphis baseball team is doing to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. The Tigers are playing good ball so far this year and will bring their 5-2 record to FedExPark this weekend for a round robin tournament against Oral Roberts, Southern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky.



Mardi Gras is coming up very quickly. Several bars are having promotions geared to a Fat Tuesday holiday on March 8. Here are a few promotions that I know about. I'll add more as they are announced.

Boscos
Fat Tuesday Brewmaster's Beer Dinner - a five course chef created dinner with beer pairings for $50 a person.. The dinner begins at 6:45pm and reservations are required.

High Point Pub
The High Point Pub's annual Mardi Gras celebration will be Saturday, March 5th. Stop by for food, beads (earned and unearned!), and fun. A parade will start at 10:00 pm. Anyone wishing to enter a float (wagon, wheelbarrow, garbage can, etc.) will be eligible for prizes.

Kooky Canuck
$3 Specials on 34 oz draft, hurricanes and hand grenades, 34 oz specialty drinks only $5! There will also be a limited Cajun menu.

The Grove Grill
Fat Tuesday Abita Beer Dinner will be Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00pm. For $45.00 plus tax and gratuity you get four courses paired with your favorite Abita beers. Wine is also available for those who aren't beer fans. Here's the menu:

Crab Meat Ravigote
Beer battered onion ring, bell pepper-avocado salsa
Beer Pairing: Abita Amber

****

Blackened Red Fish
With spinach stuffed mirliton and tomato etoufee
Beer Pairing: Turbo Dog

****

Pekin Duck and Home Made Andouille Sausage Roulade
With Louisiana brown rice and gumbo sauce
Beer Pairing: Save Our Shores

****

Chocolate and Raspberry King Cake
& Abita Root Beer Float
Beer Pairing: Purple Haze


Chef Ryan Trimm of Sweet Grass in the Cooper Young area has been nominated as one of Food & Wine's The People's Best New Chef of 2011. Take a minute and vote for him. If you haven't been to Sweet Grass, it's worth the trip.

Free Pancakes, Zinnie's East Closing, Dublin House

To honor National Pancake Day, IHOP is giving away free pancakes until 10pm or while supplies last. Get there early, before supplies run out.

Midtown now has one less restaurant/bar. Zinnie's East has closed its doors. It's sad to see it go, but using the smoking laws that have been in effect for a three years or so as an excuse is pretty weak. Better food and drinks will always save the day. By the way, Zinnie's East was very underrated for Sunday brunch. Hopefully someone else will take the spot and turn it into a thriving business. No word yet on the future of the original Zinnie's.

Finally had a chance to get to the Dublin House. The bar has a great atmosphere and I'm very impressed with was they did with the old Melo's space. Regulars of the now closed Downtown Dan McGuinness will be happy to know that Mal is back in Memphis and is serving your favorite drinks at the Dublin House.  




 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Basketball, Toomer's Corner, Project Green Fork

It looks like the Tigers are peaking at the right time. With wins over Southern Miss and UAB, Memphis now has the lead in Conference USA down the home stretch. Memphis also has what some would say is the easiest road before the C-USA Championship in El Paso. The Tigers remaining games are at Rice, Houston, at UTEP, at East Carolina and home against Tulane. Barring any mess ups, Memphis should be the the #1 seed in the C-USA Tournament.

The Grizzlies received horrible news yesterday about Rudy Gay's shoulder. He will be out for at least four weeks with the injury. If there is any bright side, week one is now, so hopefully he will be back three weeks after the all-star break. Time of the other players to step it up and stay in the playoff hunt. In other Grizzlies news, the front office is shopping O.J. Mayo.

Have you heard about controversy at Toomer's Corner in Auburn? Talk about insane fans. Is it possible that Alabama fans have eclipsed Florida and LSU fans as the worst in the SEC? I would have to say yes.

Huey's Midtown is the latest addition to the growing number of Mid-South restaurants achieving Project Green Fork certification. I didn't realize that so may restaurants were already PGF certified.


Don't forget the opening day for the Memphis Tigers baseball team is tomorrow. The Tigers will host Evansville at FedExPark.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Cafe Society Tasting Postponed, Upcoming Concerts

The snow is coming down pretty good right now in Midtown Memphis. Latest forecasts are calling for four to six inches. Everyone be careful on the roads.

Due to the latest round of snow, Cafe Society has rescheduled tonight's St. Germain tasting to Wednesday, February 16th.

FedEx Forum has announced that Kings of Leon and Bon Jovi will be coming to Memphis. Tickets for King's of Leon April 9th show with opening act Band of Horses go on sale on February 12th. Bon Jovi will play on May 19th with tickets sales starting tomorrow (February 11th).










Monday, February 07, 2011

More On The Dublin House

I tried to get into The Dublin House a couple of times over the weekend, both times they were already closed. They plan on opening full-time starting February 16.

Super Bowl, More Snow, Grizzlies vs Lakers, Snoop Dogg

Congrats to the Green Bay Packers for winning the Super Bowl last night. The game looked ugly early, but it got much better. The game was great, but Christina Aguilera and Black Eyed Peas' performances were horrendous. 

Green Bay Packers - Super Bowl XLV Champs - Get your Gear on at Football Fanatics

You can't talk about the Super Bowl without mentioning the commercials. Here are my Top 5.












Is anyone else getting sick of the snow? Yes, it pretty to watch, but the frenzy that everyone goes through is a royal pain. Can't wait to see what will happen if the next wave of snow expected on Wednesday actually happens. According to the latest Winter Storm Watch, Wednesday may be the worst snow/ice event of the year for Memphis

There are a couple of solid options if you are looking to get out tonight. The Grizzlies have a huge game tonight at FedEx Form against the Lakers. The Grizzlies have been hot lately and usually play the Lakers pretty tough, with more wins than you may think. And Snoop Dogg is performing at Minglewood Hall. This would be a tough decision if I had tickets to both events. Home watching the Grizz game is sounding good right now.

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday has arrived. Most bars are having some type of game watching party with specials, etc. Some of the better options are at High Point Pub and Kooky Canuck. A random wild card may be the party at Cafe Ole in Midtown.

The game should be pretty good - evenly matched teams, blue collar teams with limit big name players, great historic franchises, etc.  So who's going to win? It's time to fold and put away the towels and strap on your cheese head. Packers beat the Steelers 24-20.

One more thing, if Congress wants to do something nice for the people of America, why not make the Monday after the Super Bowl a federal holiday. It would be a perfect way to celebrate the end of the season for America's favorite sport. If Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker or Steve Cohen is reading this, get on the ball. Get moving. Heck, earmark it if you have to.  This something all of your constituents would support.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Dublin House

Midtown's newest bar is open this weekend only with a limited sampling of beverages. I walked by The Dublin House last night and it looks like they did a great job renovating the space formerly occupied by Melo's on Madison Ave. I'll have to try and get over there tonight to check it out.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Grizzlies Above .500, Cafe Society Events

How about that? With last night's win over the Orlando Magic, the Memphis Grizzlies are one game above .500. It may be tight, but if the Grizzlies keep up the good work, a playoff opportunity may be a possibility. As of right now, the Grizzlies are just one game out of the playoffs.

After a quick trip to Minnesota for a game on Wednesday, the Grizzlies return to FedEx Forum on Friday to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs extended their losing streak to 21 games last night. Bottom line, both games are very winnable.

Keeping with the Grizzlies, there have been rumors that Jason "White Chocolate" Williams may return to Memphis. Williams was a crowd favorite, but the Grizzlies need to move on. They've been there and done that.

Cafe Society will be hosting a few events throughout the month of February.

Belgian Beer Tasting - February 8th at 7pm
Five beers with cheese and fruit for $25 per person, plus tax and gratuity. $7 small plates will be available during the tasting.

St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur Tasting - February 9th at 6:30pm
Five cocktails for $25 per person, plus tax and gratuity. $5 small plates will be available during the tasting

Wine Tasting, - February 22nd at 6:30pm
$25 per person, including tax and tip. $5 small plates will be available during the tasting.

Space is limited for all of the events. Call 722.2177 for reservations.


In addition to the tastings, Cafe Society will have a 4-course set menu on Valentine's Day for $55 per person, plus tax and tip.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Memphis Area College Baseball Heating Up

With the weather we have been having, its hard to believe that college baseball season is just a few weeks, if not days away. For Memphis area college baseball programs, the warmer temperatures we are seeing the weekend are coming at the perfect time.

Memphis will be hosting a few "marquee" games this season. On March 23, the Tigers will host the Arkansas Razorbacks at Autozone Park, the Mississippi Rebels on 4/5 Autozone Park, Southern Miss 4/8 - 4/10 at FedEx Park and Mississippi State on 5/17 at Autozone Park.

It's disappointing to not see the smaller schools face each other this year. It seems like a 3 game set spread out through the season between Rhodes and Christian Brothers would make the most sense. Best record wins a some sort of trophy, etc. It would also reduce travel costs for out of conference midweek games. 

2011 College Baseball Schedules

Memphis Tigers

Christian Brothers Bucs

Rhodes Lynx