Lunch c/o the Farmer's Market

My Farmer's Market purchase today (squash, potatoes and onions) went into lunch which turned out to be a frittata. There are starting to be more and more people at the market as the spring produce is starting to pile up and look luscious.
http://www.memphisfarmersmarket.com/thisweek.htm

Secret Gardens

This gorgeous spot is located right in the middle of downtown. It is the courtyard of Felicia Suzanne's restaurant in Brinkley Plaza on Main Street and is the most perfect outdoor space for dining or drinks anywhere downtown in my opinion. There are plenty of patios downtown but most are out on the street which is great if you want to people watch (or be watched) but if you want to go somewhere to relax and be quiet this is the place.
http://www.feliciasuzanne.com/

Speaking of gardens and idyllic settings, the Harbor Town Secret Garden Tour is coming up Saturday June 7 from 10 am - 3 pm. It is a tour of six private gardens and the fee is $10.

Delphinium Expanding

Delphinium Jewelry and Accessories, at 107 G.E. Patterson (just east of the Arcade) is expanding and the owner is having a soft opening tomorrow which coincides with May's South Main Trolley Night.

Read more from their newsletter:

"Just a reminder in case you missed the news…..WE ARE EXPANDING! Open this Trolley Night, we will be carrying cosmetics such as Bare Escentuals, (and coming soon), Stila, Too Faced, and a variety of amazing new up-and-comers.
We will also be introducing the wonderful skin care line of Mario Bedescu. "

This is a great little shop that carries fantastic looking jewelry and accessories and with the addition of cosmetics this will be a must for downtown shoppers. If you're at the Trolley Tour tomorrow night be sure to pop in and check it out.

Mr. Peanut on Main Street

If you've ever walked down Main Street between Monroe and Madison in the middle of the day chances are you've heard a "tap, tap, tap" coming from one of the shop windows. That would be the monocled Mr. Peanut trying to get your attention by tapping his cane on the window. The Peanut Shoppe at 24 S. Main was established around 1949 and was a Planters Peanut store. It is now owned by an individual and is one of only a few former Planters shops still operating. The owner roasts all kinds of fresh nuts everyday. I took a picture of the roaster which he said will be 80 years old next year! This has also got to be the smallest shop downtown. It's so narrow that you can't form a line at the counter and you have to squeeze past someone to look at all the nuts in the cases. A bit of the past is alive and well in this place and Mr. Peanut makes me smile every time I see (and hear) him. Interestingly, there is an Italian connection - isn't there always? Planters was started in Pennsylvania in 1906 by an Italian immigrant named Amedeo Obici. In 1916 Mr. Peanut was born when a boy named Antonio Gentile won a Planters contest to create a brand icon by entering his sketch of this character.

To learn more about the Peanut Shoppe (or to browse their selection) go to: http://www.memphispeanutshoppe.com/


The (almost) 80 year old roaster.

Juxtaposition

These 19th century beauties that were once the homes of prominent citizens are now museums located on Adams just a bit east of Danny Thomas Blvd. Most Memphians are very familiar with them yet...

just twenty feet across the street from them you will find this:
I really don't know why the horse statue is there (and I'm sure that's quite a story)

I bet the people who decided to attach this monstrous structure in 1959 to the original Cossitt Library which is still at Front St. and Monroe, can tell us how and why these things happen.

The original Cossitt Library completed in 1893. Architecturally a far cry from the "addition" I would say. I wish I could have been in the room when the architects were working this one through back in '59.

The back of the original library is still there. This library is one of five that is scheduled to be closed down this summer. I don't know what the future holds for it but whatever it is it has to be better than it's last makeover.

Memorial Day Downtown

It was a lazy day downtown. I spent a little time around the park across the street from the Ornamental Metal Museum. It's easy to forget about this place since it's tucked away to the south of the old bridge. No one was around and it was very quiet and beautiful. To me there has always been a kind of surreal quality about the site of the museum; hence it's the perfect place to think about the past. The pictures below are close ups of the decorative metal objects on the museum gates.

Georgeous, huge magnolia tree.

What we call the "old bridge" is officially the Memphis-Arkansas Memorial Bridge (1949).

The Harahan Bridge (1916) carries two rail lines across the Mississippi River and is next to the Memphis Arkansas Memorial Bridge as well as the Frisco Bridge (1892), not pictured.

Fireworks

Memphis in May festivities have come to an end although I suppose there are still exhibits around until the 31st. I tried to post a video of the fireworks from the finale of Sunset Symphony last night but I won't bore you with what a fiasco that has been. So I have shared a few photos of them which will just have to do. I hope the Republic of Turkey was honored properly; Memphis style with lots of music, barbecue and beer, air shows, fireworks, the symphony, guest chefs, and special exhibits. Now downtown will get back to normal as the humidity of summer sets in.

Magnolia Meltdown Melts Memphistanista

I left the familiar environs of downtown Memphis for Jackson, Mississippi to visit my nephew on his birthday (Happy 16th Birthday Andrew!) and to participate in the 2nd Annual Magnolia Meltdown 5K. I swear Jackson must be considered a semi-tropical climate as it was so very humid at race time which was 8a.m. In addition there were hills and the worst one was at the end, of course. Humidity + Hills = Slow. It was a great race anyway with something like 550 registered participants. Proceeds from the race went to the Mississippi Alliance for School Health; curbing childhood and adult obesity is one of their initiatives. The race started and ended at St. Dominic's Hospital, one of the race sponsors. As it turns out I will be back tonight in time to see the Sunset Symphony fireworks and round out a truly great Memphis in May.

Team Diamond (2 runners in the middle flanked by 2 supervisors)

Paul Lacoste, former NFL, CFL and XFL football player, pictured above (in red) with some of his devotees. Paul is a personal trainer and trains people at all levels, from professional athletes to those just trying to get into better shape. Visit http://www.paullacoste.com/ to find out more. My sister trains with him and she tells me he is indeed, as his T-shirts proclaim, "tough as nails".

Kids running in the post 5K One-Mile Fun Run.

Alternative Beverage for Memorial Day

Since Memorial Day weekend is the regarded as the kickoff to summer, consider some refreshing alcoholic beverages this long weekend rather than the usual (and horrible) Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light, etc.

Limoncello - if you have never had this you should look at this holiday weekend as the perfect time to try it. If you do, keep it in the freezer because it should be served cold. It's going to be hot and there is nothing better than this simple drink of sugar, water, lemon zest and alcohol during the summer. You can also find Orangecello. We can thank Southern Italy for these fabulous concoctions. Please drink responsibly; I am not advocating that people should go out and drink an entire bottle of Limoncello. Moderation, my friends.

The Blue Monkey is Back!

The long awaited re-opening of the downtown Blue Monkey was tonight. Unsurprisingly the place was packed early this evening. I am certain many South Bluffs residents are thrilled to have their home away from home back; this is a real neighborhood bar and grill. I did not get a chance to look at the menu but assume it's more or less the same - which was consistently good. It is larger than the old one but just next door to it's former building which burned down in late 2005. The new address is 513 S. Front. It's great that they're back and that downtowners have yet another great place to hang out.

Memphis in May Last Hurrah

The swan song of Memphis In May festivities is the Sunset Symphony. It is this Saturday in Tom Lee Park. I will have to miss it unfortunately. But for those of you who think it's just a symphony performance, think again. There will be a 60 minute air show executed by the Commemorative Air Force as a tribute to World War II. The show features World War II historic airplanes; Corsair, Hawker Sea Fury, Stearman and Russian Yak. The Four Tops will also be performing and there will be a fireworks show. What will I be doing instead? I will be sweating in a 5K in Mississippi because my sister told me I had to. Incidentally, I'm not sure how Turkey fits into the Symphony but I'm sure there are remnants of the honored country folded in there somewhere.

A Little Downtown History

Quite a while ago I noticed a spot on the Monroe side doorway of Brinkley Plaza where a mezuzah case (example photo above) had once been. It seems Brinkely Plaza, located at Main and Monroe was the original site of the Peabody Hotel and also housed a Lowenstein's Department Store at a point in time. Maybe that's when the mezuzah case was attached. Anyway, a mezuzah is a piece of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah put inside a case which is then affixed to the doorway of a Jewish home (or business?).

Downtown Fitness

Today I went by the vet on South Main to tend to Poppy and ended up having a conversation with the girl at the front desk about working out. She mentioned she would like to start working out at lunch time but lamented the fact that there is nowhere to work out Downtown. What?! I educated her.


Fogelman Downtown YMCA at 245 Madison. They have a lot of cardio and weight training equipment, racquetball courts, an indoor pool and a plethora of fitness classes. www.ymcamemphis.org/branches/fogelman/





Wellworx Sporting Club at 1 N. Main St. where you will find the usual gym set up and fitness programs. http://www.wellworx.com/

Energy Fitness, which calls itself a "Personal Training Studio", sounds intense and from what I hear it is. No pain, no gain. Located at 552 South Main. http://www.energymemphis.com/






Harbor of Health Fitness Center at 718 Harbor Bend Road just across the street from Miss Cordelia's in the Harbor Town Commercial District. They have cardio and strength equipment as well as group fitness classes. www.harborofhealth.com/services/wellness.htm

Curves at 53 Monroe - for women only. They offer a 30 minute total body workout. http://www.curves.com/