Beale Street Wine Race is this Sunday beginning at 1 PM. This is a competitive event for the staff of area restaurants. It’s also one last opportunity for them to have some fun before the busy season (May through October) kicks in.  There are four parts to the event: Opening parade – Participating restaurant employees proceed down Beale Street and into Handy Park in their homemade floats.   WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The floats, usually with the restaurant’s pageant contestant inside, have come perilously close to being dropped in past years. Many restaurant staffers start drinking hours bef ..read more

Rajun Cajun crawfish fest yesterday was COLD!!!!! It seems like it’s been blazing hot or windy & cold most of April. What we need is some Poplar Avenue weather Know what Poplar Avenue weather is? 72/57.  Look it up on a map if you don’t get it.  I discovered a new Mexican food truck at the festival: Slutty Salsa. So, I told you that Thursday we had Commissary BBQ sandwiches for dinner at the Union Mission. Now let me tell you about Friday.  We had a rich, thick chili whose flavor was tremendous- tangy and spicy, yet not overpoweringly hot. I noticed the chili appeared to hav ..read more

Yesterday wasn’t a great day. My Ziploc bag containing toiletries, hygiene items, and my charger for my iPhone and Apple Watch got stolen at the Union Mission.  But, it could have been worse. There was a witness who pointed the thief out to me. I confronted him and recovered my charger, razor, and deodorant.  The witness and I then went to a supervisor, who threw the thief out of the building and banned him. The supervisor was kind and helpful. I’ll be out about $20 replacing stolen items, but thank God I got my charger back. And thank God my phone and wallet were on my person and no ..read more

The Cossitt Library is unexpectedly closed today. “Maintenance issues,” says the sign on the door. Sigh… that complicates life for me. I had already decided that I was gonna take today/tonight off from staying at the Union Mission in order to work on my blog/Medium articles. Without the Cossitt’s free Wi-Fi, device charging, and bathrooms, I am at a disadvantage. I’ll try the next closest branch, the Cornelia Crenshaw Library at 531 Vance, this afternoon. In the meantime, I’m renting Wi-Fi, electricity, and bathrooms at the Flying Saucer for a $5.00 Fire Sale plus tip. The TacoNganas location ..read more

The NBA regular season is over, so we’re going to lead off with a bunch of basketball. The Memphis Grizzlies are light-years away from this year’s NBA playoffs, which means they’ll have entries in the 2024 draft lottery. It’ll be on May 12 in Chicago. Let’s have a look at Tankathon and see what it tells us. At 27-55, Memphis finished the regular season with the 7th-worst record in the NBA Memphis will have a 31.9% chance of moving up to pick in the top 4 of the 2024 draft There’s a 7.5% chance the lottery will land the Grizzlies the number-one pick Tankathon’s lottery simulator, run 10 times ..read more

117 Prime posted this week that its 6-year run is coming to an end. Its last day will be next Saturday, April 20. They would love to see their regulars and fans one last time. The good news is that Belle Tavern, the bar in the back with the alleyway entrance, will NOT close. It will continue to be a destination for whiskey lovers and Downtowners with Harold, Brie, and Sara taking good care of you. Today is the final Memphis Grizzlies home game of the season. The Grizz host Denver at 2:30. It’s Fan Appreciation Day and all fans attending get a free 12-piece nuggets via the Chick-Fil-A mobile ap ..read more

I mentioned earlier this week that virtual golf bar Birdie’s is giving away an annual membership in a Closest to the Pin contest this weekend. What does an annual membership get you, you ask? 10 hours of golf simulator use per month 20% discount on food, merchandise, and standard golf rates Fees waived for tournaments, league play, and special events 10% discount on gift cards 10% discount on golf fees for your guests The Grizzlies have broken the record for most starting lineups by an NBA team in one season. Memphis magazine’s Ask Vance column takes a look at oFlagg Bros. Shoes,, riginally ..read more

As I was walking this morning, I noticed that the TacoNganas food truck trailer has been pulled onto the parking lot of the future location at Danny Thomas and Adams. They’ve already resurfaced the lot, fenced it in, and landscaped around the edges. But renovating the building on that lot, a 60s-style gas/service station, into a restaurant is going to be a major undertaking. I wonder if the trailer is a sign they plan to start serving food sooner rather than later? Further along my walk, I discovered this flyer. Looks like Happy Mexican has a new sister bar/restaurant. STIX, the fast casual A ..read more

The Grizzlies host rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs tonight at 7. TV: Bally Sports Today is National Gin and Tonic Day. It’s also Pimiento Cheese Day. I recommend celebrating with a Cheese Wagon Burger at Momma’s bar on Crump. There was a shooting Monday at Danny Thomas and Mississippi. Birdie’s, the virtual golf bar on South Main,, will give away a one-year membership this weekend in a Closest to the Pin contest. There will also be some other sweet prizes given away. $3 Mich Ultra drafts this weekend and they’ll open at 9 Thursday and Friday for early-round Masters ..read more

I feel like there should be a Pink Floyd soundtrack to today’s post. BUT… Eclipse Day is not the only holiday we celebrate today… it’s also Dog Farting Awareness Day. Put a couple of hard-boiled eggs in your dog’s bowl and you’ll be plenty aware. I’m seeing rumors all over the Internet that John Calipari to Arkansas is basically a done deal. Bleacher Report says Cal and the Hogs are close to finalizing a five-year deal. Wow I have mixed feelings about this. Calipari is the very essence of the word “slimy,” but Arkansas hasn’t been highly relevant basketball-wise since the Nolan Richardson days ..read more