Parting Shots of 2008

I believe that is the planet Venus visible under the crescent moon.

New Year's Eve and Hangover Cures

Barton Flats and a blue light martini/champagne glass say goodbye 2008 and hello 2009!

For a list of Downtown NYE parties and events, see the Center City Commission website http://www.downtownmemphis.com/
The Best Bet in my opinion is the Bluff City Ball at The Orpheum, or you could crash a private party or have your own party.

Since tonight centers on toasting in the New Year, you may find that you drank too much and feel pretty sorry in the morning. Here is some preventative wisdom:

- Don't mix the grape and the grain. Keep wine/port/brandy separate from beer/whisky - English folklore

- Beer then wine, I feel fine. Wine then beer, I feel queer - English folkore

- Don't get drunk - Memphistanista

If you missed the preventative wisdom tips and ended up with a hangover here are some ideas*:

In author P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster series we meet Bertie and his stunningly clever valet, Jeeves. When Bertie has a hangover, Jeeves appears with his miracle cure of raw egg, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, commonly known as a Prairie Oyster. An excerpt from the first time Jeeves gives Bertie the concoction: "It is a little preparation of my own invention. It is the Worcestershire Sauce that gives it its colour. The raw egg makes it nutritious. The red pepper gives it its bite. Gentlemen have told me they found it extremely invigorating after a late evening."

The following possible cures were taken from a New Yorker article on hangover remedies. For the full article click: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/26/080526fa_fact_acocella?currentPage=all

Drink lots of water
Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins
Bloody Mary - a hair of the dog that bit you remedy
Italians say drink strong coffee with lemon
French say drink strong coffee with salt
Alcohol researchers say don't drink coffee, it will make you more dehydrated
Germans eat pickled herring
Moroccans chew cumin seeds
Drink sports drinks
Exercise

*Disclaimer - this is a blog not a medical resource. I take no responsibility for any ill effects caused by you trying any of these. Generally, if you're feeling ill effects from drinking it's your own fault. You cannot drink all night and wake up feeling tip top now can you? As my Dad says, "You can't stay up with the owls at night if you want to soar with the eagles in the morning", or something like that. I'm sure I'll be corrected if that's wrong.

Messages from the Edge and Poppy

Again, the Edge Neighborhood extends it's message for the New Year just as they did for Christmas, on a tire. Naturally, the New Year's message is on a Goodyear tire.


Poppy also hopes everyone has a Happy New Year. You can pop champagne bottles open all night but she knows she's got the better end of the deal with her chewy treat.

Downtown Housing

The Horizon on Riverside Drive - 155 condo unit tower (first phase)
http://www.thehorizonriverside.com/

According to this week's Memphis Business Journal, 2009 will be the Year of the Crane for downtown as we see condo, apartment, and mixed use projects continue and some new ones get underway. It seems everywhere you look there's housing to accomodate any lifestyle.

MBJ also reports the University of Memphis Law School is slated to open in the fall of 2009; the building will include new features such as a Barnes & Noble Bookstore and a Starbucks.


one room glass house, very minimalist

Making Changes for 2009

More to come!

Those Lucky Little Peas and Pink Champagne

As Southerners know it is essential to eat Hoppin' John on New Year's Day as this dish of black eyed peas is thought to bring luck and wealth for the New Year. Recipes for this vary widely but basically it's black eyed peas, ham hock, onion and salt.
See: ( Hoppin' John, Southern Living, Jan 2005, by Jones, Scott.)

So, what if you're not sure of your Hoppin' John cooking skills but don't want to miss out on all that good luck and wealth for 2009? Try calling these downtown spots ahead for Hoppin' John to go:
Miss Cordelia's, 901-526-4772
Frank's Main Street Market told me their deli will make anything anyone requests but I would call ahead anyway, 523-0101

You'll also need to get some champagne to bring in the new year. This month's Bon Appetit magazine is touting the virtues of Rosé Champagne. The Corkscrew downtown carries a few varieties of this pink bubbly.

Art on South Main and Soul Shockers

While at the Trolley Tour this past Friday night, my sister and I saw this new art installation going up at Talbot and S. Main, replacing the previous multi-colored one. Unlike yesterday, which entailed a lot of running around town, today is very subdued and relaxed as we gear up to head back to work for what will be a two day work week for most people. Not much is going on tonight which is just as well as I'm sure most people have food/drink/party hangovers anyway. In case you just haven't had enough, the Soul Shockers are playing tonight at Huey's downtown, 77 Union, 8:30pm. http://www.soulshockers.com/Soul_Shockers/Home.html

Layers

Too much to do today and not enough time to blog. I see this wall everyday but just noticed it and really looked at it today. It's in General Washburn's Escape Alley ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Memphis) and the colors and textures struck me. So, a picture from a downtown detail will have to suffice for today.

New Year's Eve in Downtown Memphis

I don't know what's going on elsewhere in the city but downtowners will not suffer from a lack of options on New Year's Eve. Here is the list from the CCC website:

New Year's Eve Party The Peabody Hotel. 149 Union

New Year's Eve Party Rumba Room. 303 S Main

First Kiss NYE 2009 Quetzal. 668 Union

New Year's Eve Guitar Drop Hard Rock Café. 315 Beale

New Year's Eve Encore Restaurant. 150 Peabody Pl.

New Year's Eve Party Flying Saucer Draught Emporium. 130 Peabody Pl.

NYE Bluff City Ball. Orpheum Theatre. 203 S Main. 6pm. North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, and Amy LaVere.

Countdown on Beale. Beale Street.

New Year's Eve Bash Hollywood Disco. 115 Vance.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from my little corner of downtown to yours.

Christmas Trees in Downtown Memphis

The Peabody Hotel


Residence Inn


The Shrine Building


The Cotton Exchange Building


The Madison Hotel

Last Minute Shopping

How lovely to have to buy those last minute gifts in the cold, miserable rain interspersed with momentary bursts of gale force winds. Pictured below is Peabody Place where you will still find some shops open such as The Gap, Victoria's Secret, Coco & Lilly, & Foot Locker.


Some local (downtown) shops to search for last minute gifts:

It's Ladies Day at the Corkscrew - 10% off wine for ladies. Yippee!

St. Blues Guitar Workshop http://www.saintblues.com/ - up to 70% off sale

Gestures Flowers and Gifts http://www.gesturesgifts.com/ - 40% off Christmas items and remember the Cash and Carry Flower Happy Hour

Also, if you'll be in Memphis this week, go to the Memphis Restaurant Association website to see a list of downtown (and around town) bars and restaurants that will be open on Christmas.
http://www.memphisrestaurants.com/


St. Blues

2008 Downtown Memphis Recap

I'm sure many of you have received a "holiday letter" in the mail in lieu of a Christmas card from someone. These letters are generally sent by close friends and family and sum up what they've been doing over the past year. I don't send out holiday letters but I do like the idea of summing up the year for Downtown Memphis. Most of this applies to downtown but some of it is more general. This is not a complete list but it's what I can remember. Here it goes:

New Bars/Nightclubs/Restaurants in 2008: Calhoun's (might have opened the very, very end of Dec. 2007 but it's too close to call in my memory), Red Rooster, Ground Zero Blues Club, Blue Monkey, Bardog Tavern, Rumba Room, Orleans on Front, On the River, Onix, Sole

New Retail in 2008: Divine Rags, Strut, Red Fish Gallery and Gifts, Nail Bar, Big Ono Bakery, Frank's Market, Le Tre Salon, The Salon, Harbor Town Coffee, Delphinum expanded, Lansky's 126 expanded, FedEx Office

Closed in 2008: Roma Pizza, Dan McGuiness, half the remaining shops in Peabody Place to make way for more hotel space, Track Couture, Lolo's, McAlister's Deli, Hoop's, EP's Delta Kitchen, The Daily Grill

2008 Downtown Festivals/Fundraisers/Events: The National Civil Rights Museum marks the 40th Anniversary of the assasination of MLK with various events, Africa in April, Crawfish Festival, Zombie Walk at April's Trolley Tour, Memphis in May honored Turkey (BBQ fest, Music Fest, Sunset Symphony, Canoe & Kayak race), Gibson 5K, Harbor Town 5K, Blues on the Bluff, Red, White and Blues 4th of July celebration in Tom Lee Park, Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, National Ornamental Metal Museum Repair Days, Fire Museum's 10th Anniversary, River Arts Fest, Duck Race on Mud Island, Downtown Alive Fall Concert Series, Cyclocross in Greenbelt Park, Downtown Memphis Holiday Parade, St. Jude Memphis Marathon

2008 News: Sadly, Isaac Hayes dies as do Silver of Silver Salon and Sam Zambelis of Bon Ton Cafe, Memphis Mayor aka King Willie annnounces his resignation but then withdraws it, work begins on Beale Street Landing, Lincoln American Tower renovation completed and leasing begins, construction on various large projects continue including Court Square Center, U of M Law School, and The Horizon, construction begins on Courtyard by Marriott

That's it, my brain hurts now.

The Things You See...

What can I say? I was out running yesterday and parked in front of the Peabody was an Oscar-Mayer Wienermobile and a second one had just pulled off and was driving down Union. Someone told me there had been a Mini-Cooper Wiernermobile parked there as well. Too bad I missed all of them together.

Here's an interesting bit of Wienermobile information from Wikipedia:
"The most recent version of the Wienermobile, built in 2004, has been updated to include a voice activated GPS navigation device, an audio center with a wireless microphone, and a horn that plays the Wiener Jingle in 21 different genres from Cajun to Rap to Bossa Nova, according to American Eats. There are seven Wienermobiles in existence." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar-Mayer_Wienermobile

Downtown Brewery Offers Up Locally Brewed Draft Beer To Go

Downtown beer lovers planning holiday parties take heart, Boscos Brewery at 827 S. Main is offering fresh draft beer to go.

1/2 gallon "Growlers"- $10 for the beer - $3 deposit on the container
Ghost River Golden
Ghost River Glacial Pale Ale (I'm not a beer drinker but I love this one)
Ghost River Brown Ale
Ghost River Wee Heavy

Currently available Boscos styles in growlers are:
Boscos Famous Flaming Stone Beer
Boscos Bombay IPA
Downtown Brown
Isle of Skye Scottish Ale

Check out their website for details about growlers, kegs and cost: http://boscosbeer.com/brewery/docksales.htm

Downtown Memphis for the Holidays: Grizzlies, Majestic, Bardog, Concerts

There's a lot going on this weekend downtown and on through New Year's Eve. Here are a few events:

The Grizzlies play the Bobcats tonight at FedEx Forum, the Lakers on Monday the 22nd and the Pacers on Friday the 26th.

Brunch with Santa at the Majestic Grille, Saturday, December 20, 11am - 2 pm. 901-522-8555

Applause for the Cause featuring rapper Al Kapone at Hard Rock Cafe on Beale Street. Proceeds benefit WHY (www.worldhungeryear.org) Saturday, December 20, 10pm.

Sunday Supper and a Movie at Majestic Grille, Sunday December 21st, 6:30 pm. Movie: The Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life". NOTE: Tables are already totally booked, I just got two seats at the bar, so they may have more places at the bar, call 901-522-8555.


Rapper T.I. at FedEx Forum Sunday, December 21st.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Tuesday, December 23rd at the FedEx Forum.

Trim the Tree at Bardog Tavern, 73 Monroe - Wednesday, December 24th - Bring an ornament.

Duwayne Burnside (blues), at Ground Zero Blues Club, 158 Lt George W. Lee St., Friday night, December 26th

Go to the Center City Commission website for a full listing of events http://www.downtownmemphis.com/domain/news/html/thisweek.html

Wrapping Presents

Ok, all of those gifts you ordered online are starting to ship and show up on your doorstep. Are you prepared to wrap them so that they look beautiful for the recipients? Wrapping is a talent not everyone has, so if you're in need of some help you're in luck. Small Closet at 14 N. Main (the tiny place in between Walgreen's and the Porter Building) will wrap your gifts for you. You can bring them there or they will come to your home or office. Contact Joyce at 901-649-6503 for details.

Christmas and New Year's Eve in Downtown Memphis

You may find yourself downtown on Christmas and in need of dinner or a drink or both. The following is a current list of downtown bars and restaurants that will be open, according to the Memphis Restaurant Association website http://www.memphisrestaurants.com

Bars:
Alfred's
BB Kings
The Blue Monkey
Club 152
The Flying Saucer
Westy's

Restaurants:
Capriccio (inThe Peabody)
Sole (Westin Hotel)
Grill 83 (Madison Hotel)
The Inn at Hunt Phelan
Westy's

Downtown will be the place to be on New Year's Eve. Here's what's happening:

The Peabody New Year's Eve Party: Featuring live music throughout the hotel on three different stages. Bands include Lord T. & Eloise and Gabby Johnson. 21 years or older. December 31, 2008, 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. $35.00 per person. www.peabodymemphis.com

Countdown on Beale: Live music at Handy Park and in the clubs, as well as fireworks, a countdown to the New Year, and a champagne toast at midnight. December 31, 2008, 6:00 p.m. Beale Street. www.bealestreetmerchants.com

Bluff City Ball: North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, Amy LaVere, Jim Dickinson, 7pm. Tickets $30- $45 www.orpheum-memphis.com

Mailing Cards and Gifts Around the World

I needed to send a Christmas card to Italy so I went to the USPS website to find out how much postage I would need. I'm sure I've been to that part of the website before but today I ended up clicking on various countries and looking through each country's list of items that we cannot mail to them. Fascinating. Here's a sample of some odd items that you cannot mail to various countries:

Italy: Ribbons for typewriters (where can you even buy ribbons for typewriters, or typewriters for that matter?)
Ecuador: All maps showing the territory of Ecuador with incorrect boundaries
Iran: Fashion magazines
Tunisia: Pencils
Scotland: Horror comics and matrices
Albania: Extravagant clothes and other articles contrary to Albanians’ taste (???)

Merry Christmas from The Edge

One of the businesses in Downtown' s suburb The Edge Neighborhood wishes you a Merry Christmas via a painted tire. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Speaking of auto related recycled items, Delphinium at 107 G.E. Patterson has some really cool items made out of recycled street signs. Visit their website to see their selection: http://delphiniumboutique.com/store/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=3&Itemid=7

New Year's Eve Bluff City Ball at the Orpheum

This is exciting news! North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, Amy LaVere and Jim Dickinson at the Orpheum on New Year's Eve. I saw the North Mississippi Allstars on New Year's Eve a couple of years ago at the Orpheum and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. This should be great way to usher in 2009.

North Mississippi Allstars website: http://www.nmallstars.com/
Lucero website: http://www.luceromusic.com/site/index.php

Amy LaVere: http://www.archer-records.com/?page=artist.asp&sub=y&aid=5
Jim Dickinson: http://www.popculturepress.com/jimdickinson.html

To buy tickets: http://www.orpheum-memphis.com/index.cfm?section=comattrac&page=details&showid=611

Ice Storm Warning; Tuesday at the Corkscrew

Well the City was again bracing for an ice storm yesterday (which never came) as the City and County schools sent the children home at noon hours in advance of some possible frozen precipitation. People who live in colder climates cannot understand the sheer hysteria that takes over this city at the mere mention of snow or ice. I would love to have seen what Schnuck's on Union was like after work yesterday. No doubt there was a mad rush to snap up all the Pop Tarts and Hot Pockets lest we all get snowed in for days. Now it is true that the last big ice storm in 1994 was really, really bad and there was a lot of property damage and many people were without power for weeks. Truly, this city is not equipped to deal with a bad winter storm. Moreover Memphis drivers are somewhat, how shall I say, creative and prone to experiment in the best of driving conditions so you would not want to be around them on ice. This is the only kind of ice we can handle:



The good news for girls is that it is Ladies Day at the Corkscrew which means a 10% discount on wine for ladies. They have a Spanish wine in stock I can recommend, Viña Borgia 2007, which is already inexpensive so with a 10% discount you can't go wrong. This might make the perfect wine to bring to a party or to give as a host/hostess gift :


By the by, the Corkscrew also has Averna, a Sicilian digestif, which is hard to find around here http://www.averna.it/en/averna.htm.

Downtown Memphis Christmas Lights

I love to go driving around at Christmas time to look at Christmas lights. Some neighborhoods go all out and decorate every yard and house. There are always certain houses as well that everyone knows about to specifically go to because they go over the top with lights. Think of this post as a drive through downtown to look at some of the lights.

New House for the Peabody Ducks, the Gingerbread House and Mantia's is Closing

I usually really don't think about the Peabody though it's hard to tell lately. I heard that the ducks at the Peabody have a new home so I had to run up there to take a look.

Hello. Do you want to see our new super fine home? It's so much more refined than that garish gingerbread house in the lobby.

Also, I'm not sure how I missed it the other day but there is an enormous gingerbread house in the Peabody lobby as well.

In my chestnut cake recipe from a couple of days ago I mentioned that Mantia's on Poplar was the only place in Memphis you could buy chestnut flour. Since then I heard Mantia's is closing (they may already be closed by now). I'm sorry to hear that as they had the BEST selection of cheese in the city as well as all kinds of hard to find, high quality food. So now, if anyone knows where to get chestnut flour please let me know.

Peabody Follow Up and This Weekend Downtown

The Peabody will host various choirs giving free performances through next Friday, December 19th. Yet another reason to kick back in their lobby while it's looking so lush and festive.

Also tonight admission to the Rumba Room (303 S. Main) is free with the donation of a toy worth $5-10 for the MIFA "Hope Chest". Each year MIFA’s Holiday Hope Chest provides gifts for over 400 children in various MIFA programs.

Saturday night December 13th the Downtown Neighborhood Association is having their Holiday Party at First Alliance Bank, 464 N. Front from 7 - 10pm (donations of canned goods or cash required).

And don't forget Majestic Grille's Sunday Supper and a movie this Sunday featuring the movie "The Thin Man". Dinner starts at 7pm and movie starts at 7:30. Some cute one liners from "The Thin Man", BTW that Asta is a cutie!:

The Peabody at Christmas

The Peabody lobby looks so beautiful at Christmas time. The tree in the lobby, all the decorations and the ultra plush sofas and chairs make it a nice place to go have an eggnog or what have you. This year their pastry chefs have created a Thomas & Friends Train set (3 train cars), most kids know what that is. If you get anywhere near it you get a strong smell of cake which is enough to make most children (and many adults) lose their minds.

Chestnut Cake and the 80% v. 20% Theory

It's time for another recipe post. This time it's a cake recipe just in time for the holidays. This cake has rosemary in it which looks like stubby pine needles, though this herb is a member of the mint family.

I've made this cake for several people. 80% of them like this cake. 20% are not fans. Those 20% are people who think cake comes from a box and also that cake automatically has frosting which comes from a jar. If you are one of those people this recipe is not for you. For those of you in the 80% group, please read on.

Chestnut Cake (Castagnaccio)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/2 cups chestnut flour (the only place to get this in Memphis is Mantia's at 4856 Poplar which is in the Middle East according to my Memphis map)

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons pine nuts

needles from two fresh rosemary sprigs
salt

Preheat oven to 350. Brush a 3/4 inch pan with oil. Put the flour in a mixing bowl and gradually whisk in the milk and water. Stir in the sugar, a pinch of salt and the oil then pour into the pan. Sprinkle with the nuts and rosemary and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool a little

before serving.

Map attached for travel planning purposes.

NOTE: Please put your cursor on the blinking Christmas Tree ornament to "place" it on the tree when you visit my blog between now and Christmas. I tried this once before and then took it down due to an issue and now am putting it back up. Sorry for being inept with widgets. I may still be inept, we'll just have to see. Or it could be that I don't understand what this widget is supposed to do. Or the widget itself may be inept. What I'm trying to say is that widgets may not be my thing.

Downtown Images

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. I am posting a few photos of some downtown details I happened to notice this morning on the way to work. I get caught up in details from time to time but these are the things that make a place unique.

A rain soaked ornamental cabbage

Warning

Harbor Town Lunch on a Rainy Tuesday

It was a gloomy, rainy day out today. My mood has matched the weather. This afternoon I went by Miss Cordelia's to provision as my cupboards were bare and had a good lunch in their deli. Since it's on Harbor Town I rarely think of going there for lunch but I should make a point of it more often. There are quite a few lunch options in their little commercial square now including the River Inn restaurants Currents and Tug's, Harbor Town Coffee shop and Movie & Pizza Co.

How Majestic!

The Majestic Grille has been hosting a Sunday Supper and a Movie. Where else can you have dinner and a show in the same spot? The movie is accompanied by a dinner special appropriately coordinated with the theme of the movie. On December 14th the movie is "The Thin Man" and December 21st will be "It's a Wonderful Life". They will also have a special movie night on Thursday December 18th showing "Christmas Vacation". For movie times and menus visit www.themajesticgrille.com/events

Montreal, Magog and Returning to Memphis

Where in the World Day 6 Photos of McGill University and Olympic Park in Montreal. The Middle of Nowhere turned out to be a small town called Magog which has a huge lake called, oddly Memphremagog. It was a pretty town surrounded by mountains. Montreal was beautiful and very cosmopolitan. I will be back in Memphis soon and will resume blogging about downtown and what's been happening there. I had noticed an M theme in my travels - Montreal, Magog, Mempremagog, McGill, Memphis - lot's of M's.

McGill



Olympic Park