Island Queen Sightseeing Tour

I went on a riverboat sightseeing tour for the first time in a very long time today at the urging of a couple of friends. The last time I did this was in 7th or 8th grade on a field trip and I haven't set foot on a riverboat since, which has been my loss. The Island Queen, operated by Memphis Riverboats, offers daily 90 minute sightseeing tours. The perfect weather and the interesting commentary given by Jimmy Ogle (he's become quite the recurring character on the blog lately) made this a really great outing. I live just beside the river yet never get on it, so it was really cool to see the city, the bridges and the shoreline while on a relaxing riverboat ride. Some riverboat fairy sent me up to the Captain's deck where I chatted with him a long while about all sorts of riparian* entertainments. Get more information about tours and cruises at: http://www.memphisriverboats.net/

* I've been waiting a long time to slip that word into a sentence! Sometime soon I'll be writing about the Memphis Queen II, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the painstaking restoration this it is currently undergoing.

Isa's Pistachio Cake; Buzz Aldrin; The Peabody Celebrates 140 Years

I got the McCarter Coffee at Miss Cordelia's after work yesterday. While there I saw a display of some cute little individual pistachio cakes called "Isa's Pistachio Cake". I love pistachio anything so I bought one thinking it would be good with a cup of coffee. This cake is much, much better than good. It's moist in the middle, crumbly on top and has a sublimely subtle pistachio taste and color. The story about who Isa is and how it came to be that she bakes these cakes and sells them at Cordelia's is printed on a sheet next to the cakes in the store. I have to admit, I was in a hurry and I saw "from Puerto Rico" and "uses the kitchen at Currents" and I couldn't even swear to those statements. Luckily, on the Miss Cordelia's website there is a link to a recent little piece in the Commercial Appeal about this cake: http://www.misscordelias.com/scoop_email_cake.php

Poppy had to have the bow.

The cake was that important. It had to be the lead post.

Moving on, famous astronaut Buzz Aldrin will be the guest of honor at the "Out of This World" black tie dinner celebrating the 40th anniversary of America's landing on the moon. Saturday, August 29th at 7 pm at One Commerce Square, Monroe and Main. Click here for all the details, http://bluesball.memphischaritable.org/event.php

Another exciting upcoming anniversary is the 140th anniversary of the Peabody Hotel this Tuesday, September 1st. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served in the ever elegant Peabody lobby with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra entertaining. 4:45 - 6pm

I'm not starting the marker tour again, just posting the photo of the marker at the site of the original Peabody for those of you who like math.

Republic; Delphinium; 2 Years of Circa; Got Squash and Coffee?; Gone with the Wind

Republic Restaurant and Nightclub, the new place opening this Saturday night, August 29th in the old EP's space at Beale and Second, tweets that they are "excited about changing nightlife in Memphis forever." http://twitter.com/RepublicMemphis

I don't know what that means but I'm just about overjoyed that they cleaned up the corner of Peabody Place and Second where they installed their new signage.


Delphinium has their new Fall merchandise in. Behold the word from their newsletter:
"Good news for those of you who have been patiently waiting for new goodies...we are back from NYC with literally a store full of new items! Almost every item on our shelves is new, out this week. Bags of all shapes, sizes and colors. Fun and classic jewelry for every budget! Come out soon and update your Fall wardrobe. "

New season = new bags and accessories.

Circa is celebrating their 2 year anniversay tonight. The space next to them that formerly housed Track Couture is temporarily displaying artwork for their event. Please read the details from the Circa website: "Please join Circa by John Bragg as we celebrate our 2nd Anniversary!
6:00 to 7:30 PM Anniversary Wine Reception

7:30 PM Silent Art Auction & Live Auction

8:00 PM Live Entertainment & Dinner 3-course Prix-Fixe Dinner - $90 per person (call now - only 50 seats are available for dinner)

Proceeds will be donated to Help the Least of These: A Memphis-based organization working to build schools and better children's lives in Kibera/Africa." http://www.circamemphis.com/

The Memphis Farmer's Market wants you to know they will be knee deep in squash this week: http://www.memphisfarmersmarket.com.Like a goofball I've been patiently waiting all week for Saturday so that I can go to the Farmers Market and get some McCarter coffee. I was even fretting that I may have to wait until the following Saturday to get it there as I may be staying in the Far East this weekend. The McCarter website, which I posted a link to earlier this week, says they sell their coffee at Miss Cordelia's, Harbor Town Coffee and Beignet Cafe - all downtown! In addition, they also sell their coffee at the Agricenter, so I would have been set in the Far East as well. I should read my posts more often.

One of the last movies of the Orpheum's summer series, "Gone with the Wind", is playing tomorrow night, August 28, at 7:15. I took my grandfather to see this at the Orpheum a few years ago and it is the last thing he and I did alone together before he died. This is not a sad fact, but a happy reminder for me. He was a man of very few words but he was a master at saying the most appropriate, perfectly timed and correctly worded one liners. It was never calculated, he just had a gift for saying exactly what needed to be said in exactly the right way. Economy of word and thought. "Gone with the Wind" has some pretty good one liners as well:

"You know what trouble I's talkin' 'bout. I's talking 'bout Mr. Ashley Wilkes. He'll be comin' to Atlanta when he gets his leave, and you sittin' there waitin' for him, just like a spider."

"I'll think about that tomorrow."

"A cat's a better mother than you."

"What gentlemen says and what they thinks is two different things"

"Fiddle-dee-dee. War, war, war; this war talk's spoiling all the fun at every party this spring. I get so bored I could scream. "

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. "

"You still think you're the cutest trick in shoe leather. "

"Marriage, fun? Fiddle-dee-dee. Fun for men you mean."

"I want everybody who's been mean to me to be pea-green with envy!"

"You're coarse, and you're conceited. And I think this conversation has gone far enough. "

I ran across some thoughtful insight on the character of Scarlett on the NPR website, click here to read it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18482709

Crushing Court Square

So, what's new in Court Square?


And is what's new directly related to what's different in the scene below?

Actually, what's different is often more heard than seen and it's very quiet tonight.


I happened to snap this shot today of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Shelby County Jail, weird, no?

Frank's Deli Renovation; Adventures of Power; Counterweight Fire Escape; Trolley Tour Friday

On my after dinner walk with Poppy last evening we strolled down Main Street as usual and came upon Frank's Deli to find half the front wall had been removed, all the shelving and product was gone and workers were hauling stuff out at a frenetic pace. The checkout counter at the front was still half there and the checkout girl was behind it, well as behind it as possible seeing that the wall was gone. I had to ask:

1.) Why are you behind the counter still? 1a.) Is this a "down with the ship" mentality?

2.) What's going on?

She told me they are renovating and re-configuring their very small space and (and this is the best part) they will be finished in 48 hours. 48 hours from when exactly I don't know but at any rate this means their miraculous renovation will be completed well before this Friday's trolley night. I can't wait to see this and to have the smoked turkey sandwich in a newly configured Frank's. Hopefully, part of the renovation includes fixing the air conditioning so that it feels cooler than 85% in there.

You will definitely stay cool at tonight's Indie Memphis movie offering, "Adventures of Power" at Malco's Studio on the Square, 7:30 pm. Like air drumming? Click here to see the trailer: http://www.adventuresofpower.com/#/Video/. This film was the Indie Memphis ‘08 Audience Award-winner for Narrative Feature.

The monthly South Main Trolley Tour is this Friday night as I mentioned above and you will find the usual merriment as well as gallery and shop-hopping. This would be a good time to check out the newly opened pub South of Beale as well as check in on the 48 hour progress at Frank's Deli. Also, urban streetwear boutique Sneak Peek will have it's grand opening during the trolley tour.

This is random, but I had to take a photo of this counterbalanced fire escape ladder in Center Lane Alley between Union and Monroe. I walk past this a million times a week and never noticed it until today. I have not seen another contraption like this one downtown, though there are bound to be others. Click on the photo to enlarge it as it's a little tough to see the details.

Travel & Leisure Covers BBQ; A Little New England in Memphis

The cover of September's Travel & Leisure is a breathtaking picture of Positano on Italy's Amalfi coast at twilight. The cover story is "Ultimate Italy: Eat Like a Local". I would love to, but further back in T&L's pages, beyond the allure of Italy, past a piece about the wines of Argentina and before an article about the culinary delights of Hong Kong, there's a spread about good ole BBQ and the "low 'n slow" mantra. The article introduces readers to BBQ kingpins in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.

The stop in Tennessee includes a nod to A & R Bar-B-Que's rib tip sandwich and mentions Rendezvous, Neely's, Cozy Corner, Tops, Central and Leonard's. All of these restaurants have locations downtown or in Midtown. The Stax Museum and the Madison Hotel are thrown in for good measure for those planning on heading out for a BBQ road trip this fall.

In other food news, one of my very favorite restaurants, Encore, is having a New England Summer Pre-Fixe Dinner tomorrow night, August 26th at 6:30 pm:

1st Course: Cape Codder Cocktail; Retro Shrimp Cocktail

2nd Course: Marqués de Cáceres Rioja (we drank the heck out of this in Barcelona); Lobster Rolls with Lemon Vinaigrette and Garlic Butter

Dessert: Boston Cream Pie Martini; New England Whoopie Pie

A Cape Codder cocktail is vodka, cranberry and lime. A Boston Cream Pie martini is, I think, vanilla vodka, Irish cream, chocolate liqueur, maybe cocoa gets sprinkled on top, may have whipped cream as well. How could a martini possibly go wrong with those ingredients?

Margarita Monday

Today has been a little hectic (lost prescription sunglasses again and cannot see; witnessed the horrifying “blue screen of death” on my work PC) and I am searching for a soothing tonic. It’s Monday. Didn’t that used to mean “margarita”?

Rio Loco tells me, “Señorita, we have a margarita special everyday 4pm – close, $6.99 jumbo margaritas. See you tonight.” Confident, I like that. www.riolocomemphis.com

The Happy Mexican has a 2 for 1 margarita special on Mondays for the regular, normal human-sized margarita. www.happymexican.com

Onix has been advertising a “Margarita Monday” but when I called to find out about it, no one answered the phone. It may have started early. www.onixrestaurant.com

On the Radar: McCarter Coffee and Moroccan Oil

I went to lunch with some friends yesterday and the topic of coffee came up and which brands we like. One of them mentioned McCarter Coffee and I learned it's a local coffee roaster in Millington who roast and brew their special selection of coffee from all over the world. As fate would have it, I went to a dinner last night and the hosts served McCarter coffee which they had picked up at the downtown farmers market earlier in the day. I remarked on how good it was and will be picking up a pound next week. You can buy it at their store, online and at several locations around town, click here for the full list: http://www.mccartercoffee.com/location.html

The other product on the radar that's worth mentioning: Moroccan Oil. Where have I been and how long has this stuff been around? Genius. Pure genius. It's expensive yes, but now that I've used it myself I can say it's so worth it. It's an oil for your hair that smells fantastic, makes your hair super soft and takes all the frizz away. You use just the tiniest amount in your hair when it's damp and style it however you normally do. Even though it's an oil, it does not make your hair oily or weigh it down. The Downtown Gould's in the Peabody carries it as do all the Gould's locations, I think, and a few other places around town. And of course, you can always get it online : www.moroccanoil.com

Happy Friday

From the most tricked out carriage downtown:

Streets and Bridges (well, not so much about bridges)

I picked up a few facts from Jimmy Ogle's streets and bridges presentation today at the Cotton Museum. I was only able to stay for half the presentation and my head was swimming with information about streets. Lunch time is tricky during the week, what with having to actually work, so I had to miss all the talk about bridges. I'll have to catch this again sometime.

The geographic center of the city is Southern Avenue and Goodwyn Street - about where Memphis Country Club is.

E.H. Crump Blvd. was originally named Iowa Street. Many of the streets around the south side of downtown are named after states: Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Kansas.

Avenues run East-West and Streets run North-South

The first five streets going south from Poplar (and Front) are named after the first five Presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. The first three streets going north from Poplar (and Front) are named after the City's founders, Winchester, Jackson and Overton. None of the three ever lived in Memphis. They all lived in middle Tennessee.

Found out what the Confused Study is: C.O.N.F.U.S.E.D. Study = Consistency Of Names For Urban Streets Evaluation & Discussion

Stereo Alley (between Court and Madison) is so named because KLYX radio station was in the Arcade building there and used to broadcast out into the alley. KLYX, which originally signed on in 1965 is now KJMS.

Cleaning Up Main Street; Grizzlies; Confused Study?

Main Street is getting some TLC as the Center City Commission's Main Street Task Force has made long awaited repairs and maintenance a priority. MATA is planning to repaint the trolley stations and poles, the City's General Services and Community Enhancement departments have pruned trees, cleaned out drains and will replace or repair some of the damaged tree grates. I noticed this week that the little alcove between some buildings at Union and Main across from the trolley stop has been fenced off presumably to keep it clean as it became somewhat of a little nightmare of accumulated trash and human detritus of all sorts. Enough said.

The Grizzlies have announced their "Power Packs" ticket packages for the 2009 -2010 season:http://www.nba.com/media/grizzlies/MG_PackFlyer_0910.pdf


An update on the Streets and Bridges lecture this Thursday at the Cotton Museum at noon: There will be numerous slides and the talk covers the four Mississippi River bridges, the naming of streets, lore surrounding famous streets, and other street and bridge themed topics. Most intriguing is something called "The Confused Study" which I have never heard of before and which Jimmy O. promises to expound upon.

Brown Bags - No Way to Be Bored at Lunch

Jimmy Ogle is giving a lecture this Thursday, August 20 at noon called “The Origins & Oddities of the Streets & Bridges of Memphis” in the Cotton Museum, 65 Union. Admission is free. Bring a sack lunch.
http://www.memphiscottonmuseum.org/

The Center for Southern Folklore continues to have their Brown Bag lunch concert series with Slidin' Clyde Roulette (great name!) this Thursday, Aug. 20 and Mike Darby & The House of Cards on Friday, Aug. 21. Free, bring your own lunch or buy lunch at the Center. http://www.southernfolklore.com/; www.clyderoulette.com/band.htm

More on Metal

Picking up from yesterday's post, the "Under Lock and Key" collection of the larger exhibit was even better than I imagined and some of the locks were fascinating both in their design and function. For a little more than the price of a large chai latte you can gain admission to the National Ornamental Metal Museum and its beautiful grounds... cheers:











The cupola from the vacant building next to the museum, a former U.S. Army Reserve center.


As a side note, the metal museum also has a really great gift shop that sells jewelry, kitchen utensils, wine bottle stoppers, lightswitch plates, metal hooks and hangers, serving and decorative bowls, keychains and a lot more. I received these neat pewter measuring spoons a few years ago as a gift from some co-workers and I had never seen anything like them before. They have them in the museum gift shop and they are made by a company called Beehive Kitchenware.

Photo from Friday Night; Metal Museum; Copper at Art Under a Hot Tin Roof

Photo from Friday night on the cobblestones looking across the harbor at Mud Island Amphitheater with Steely Dan in concert.

I am paying a visit to the The National Ornamental Metal Museum this afternoon to see their "Permanent Collection Four Ways" exhibit. These are four separate exhibits from their largely unseen metalwork collection. One of the exhibits I am most interested in seeing is "Under Lock and Key" which showcases historic and handmade locks. I have to admit it's been literally 20 years since I've darkened the door of the museum so this visit is long overdue.
Check out some of the pieces and the story behind a couple of the collections:

The JG Braun Collection

The Herbert P. MacNeal Collection

Some other metal that catches my eye everytime I stroll past are the handmade copper serving pieces by metalsmith Ben Caldwell hanging in the window of the Art Under a Hot Tin Roof gallery at 117 S. Main. Here is a photo of the gorgeous little things glistening in the sun:

Shelby County Courthouse Centennial Celebration This October

I received some information on the upcoming Shelby County Courthouse Centennial Celebration from the Memphis Bar Association this week. I can't wait for this event and for a tour of the courthouse. I'll be posting updates as the time draws nearer the event:

On Tuesday, October 13, 2009, the Memphis Bar Association, the Shelby County Government, Memphis Heritage, and the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects with support from many generous sponsors in the legal community will host the Shelby County Courthouse Centennial Celebration from 4:30-7 pm.

The event will be held on the south lawn of the Courthouse, along Adams Avenue, and guests will enjoy hors d'oeuvres, beverages and live music by the historic Christian Brothers High School Band dressed in antique uniforms. Both Adams and Washington between Second and Third Streets will be closed for the event. Representatives from the Memphis and Shelby County governments will be on hand as well as Tennessee State Historian Walter Durham on behalf of Governor Phil Bredesen.

Guests at the event will be given tours of the building and learn everything from the fascinating architecture and construction of the building to the notable trials that have taken place within its walls and the grand figures who have walked its halls. As part of the educational aspect of the event, the organizers have contracted with Icon Archive Company to install six displays in the buildings south corridor, as a lasting contribution to the facility.

For more information about the event or to volunteer to assist with the event or to be a tour guide, please contact Dottie McCallen at dmccallen@memphisbar.org or 901.527.3573.

Sneak Peek; Steely Dan; Onix; Frank's Deli; Pepperite; Memphis Music and Heritage Festival; Tunisia

Earlier this week I mentioned that Tyiese Scarpa at 515 S. Main was closed. Well, a new tenant is already in the process of moving in and setting up shop. It's called Main Sneak Peek (I believe) and they are described as an urban streetwear boutique. They are having their grand opening on August 28th which coincides with the next Trolley Tour. They have a blog, http://www.sneakpeek-memphis.blogspot.com/ and are also on Facebook, My Space and Twitter. God, this all makes me tired sometimes. Anyway, there are numerous ways to stay in touch with them and find out more details about their grand opening.

We're reelin' in the years tonight for sure as Steely Dan plays Mud Island.

Recently, someone asked me about Onix restaurant and it just so happens I went there after work last Friday with some friends. The atmosphere is good, the interior doesn't seem to have changed much since it was Zanzibar, and the food is good but I didn't get to stay late enough to hear the band. They have live R&B every Thursday and Friday and live jazz on Saturdays. It's always packed on those nights so the music must be great.

Frank's Market Deli at S. Main and Vance has changed ownership but the deli seems to have remained the same, thankfully. I've become addicted to the smoked turkey with bacon. They still have no website so you can't look at the menu online. By the way, Pepperite printing just on the other side of Franks and the Green Beetle finally completed their renovation and it looks much better. When they were in full swing they had removed the old facade and you could see the original brick with the words "war surplus" faintly painted across it, though the faded and worn appearance of the words gave the building all the more personality. I was hoping they would find a way to incorporate that into the renovations but that didn't happen. A few months back I thought about getting a shot of that and I can't believe I never did given the amount of photos I take.

Save the Date for the next big dowtown festival: Memphis Music and Heritage Festival : September 5 - 6, 2009, from Peabody Place to Gayoso avenue on Main St., 11 AM - 11 PM each day, FREE.

The Memphis in May festival has announced their 2010 honored country will be Tunisia. I am reminded of the Sidi Bou Cafe and Shisha Lounge that was at the corner of Main and Adams because the owner was from Tunisia. So, I expect to see hookah smoke and BBQ smoke co-mingling in the air over Tom Lee Park in 2010.

Good Morning From the Roof

This morning it felt so nice I took my coffee up to the roof and sat there a few minutes enjoying the perfectly mild temperature. And taking some shots for you...

A Stark Reminder

I went running through Uptown this week and ran by this little disconcerting sign way down on N. Front...

It's less disconcerting when you know it's posted in front of Conwood manufacturing plant, but still.

Elvis Tribute Artists Pay a Visit to the Peabody Ducks

I rallied as promised and tracked down the best Elvi in the world all in one place. In the Peabody lobby last evening the 2009 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contestants gathered around for the daily duck march with the Duckmaster. They (the Elvi that is, not the ducks) serenaded the crowd of onlookers with "Heartbreak Hotel". One from among them was chosen as the Honorary Duck Master for the day. He did a good job of shooing the little avian superstars back to the elevators and up to their suite on the roof. The semifinals of the Elvis Tribute Artist Contest will be at the Cannon Center tonight and the finals are tomorrow night. The ducks are here every night.

Elvis Week Food; Scarecrows

During Elvis Week it seems appropriate to eat like Elvis or at least eat some typical Southern food. Fried items are a popular choice though by far not the only one Southern fare has to offer. So, here's what I've come up with in keeping with the week's theme if you're dining out downtown:

The Arcade Restaurant at GE Patterson and S. Main, www.arcaderestaurant.com
Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe on Beale Street, www.misspollysmemphis.com
Their slogan is "Let's All Get Sancti-fried"
Pork** Salad Annie - pulled pork bbq on mixed greens
Love Me Tender - Chicken Tender sandwich
Jail House Special - Fried Bologna sandwich
An array of hot buttered fried pies
**What the heck is poke/polk anyway?:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokeweed

BB Kings on Beale Street, www.bbkingclubs.com
Cocktails
June Bug - Coconut Rum, Banana Liqueur, Melon Liqueur, Sour Mix served with red sugar rim
CC Rider - Vodka, Blue Curacao and Cranberry Juice
Boll Weevil - Vodka, Rum, Gin, Tequila, Grenadine and Lemonade

Wednesday Nights are Bike Night on Beale and BB's offers $5 hamburgers, $6 cheeseburgers and .25 cent chicken wings

Alfred's on Beale, www.alfredsonbeale.com
Offers "meat and three" weekday lunch specials. Choices include fried catfish, country fried steak and chicken tenders as well as daily offerings. Vegetables include fried okra, black eyed peas, corn pudding and fried green tomatoes.

Little Tea Shop, 69 Monroe (no website)
THE meat and three lunch spot that never disappoints. Open Monday - Friday 11 am - 2pm.
The owner, Suhair Lauck was awarded a Center City Commission Vision Award this year for her contribution to downtown. Congratulations Sue!

Center for Southern Folklore, 119 S. Main, www.southernfolklore.com
A cool little place on Main Street with a great gift shop and live entertainment. Menu items include greens, yams, hot water cornbread and cobbler. 901-525-3655 - call about hours.



The garden on Huling now has a famous bride and groom for scarecrows. I saw them out on my walk with Poppy. She didn't notice them until we got right in front of them and freaked out, barking and snarling, they scared her so badly. So I guess they work, though Poppy's not likely to ravage the veggies.

Micro Cinema Club; Memphis Tours; Pepper Surplus

Indie Memphis Micro Cinema Club #54 is this Wednesday, August 12th at the Power House, 45 G.E. Patterson, presenting the Best of the 35th Northwest Film and Video Festival. 7:30, free. The Indie Memphis website still states this series will be shown at Power House but it may be a good idea to check back on their site on Wednesday.

Visting Elvis fans may like to know that there is a free Sun Studio shuttle, which runs every hour, 7 days a week, from the Rock 'n' Soul Museum to Heartbreak Hotel, Graceland, Sun Studios and back.

Also good for visitors to know about is a company called Backbeat Tours that offers five different Memphis tours. The Mojo Tour highlights include Sun Studio, Stax and Beale Street; The Hound Dog Tour focuses on Elvis, highlights include Sun Studio, Lauderdale Courts and Humes High School; The Graceland Tour is just that; The Historic Memphis Walking Tour features Cotton Row, Court Square and the Cobblestones among other sites and the Haunted Memphis Walking tour points out some of the inexplicable and scary history of downtown at such sites as the Orpheum and Handy Park.

American Dream Safari hosts similar tours but also some that go further afield into Mississippi and Arkansas. Tours offered have some pretty great names like "Drive by Shooting", "Road Therapy" and "Juke Joint Full of Blues" plus the tour vehicle is a 1955 pink Cadillac.

I am doing my best to get some pictures of visiting Elvi to post, but so far they have eluded me. Alright, I didn't really go out of my way to find them this weekend as my nice neighbors gave me a HUGE amount of jalapenos and banana peppers and a few peaches mixed in there as well, all of which I gladly accepted. So, I was busy whipping up enchiladas and ate so much I could barely move let alone think about getting out in the heat to scurry about snapping photos of Elvi. I'll rally.

Middle Eastern Food in the Far East; Sunflowers; Tyiese Scarpa Bites the Dust

I finally made it out to Kabob International for lunch today and had the lamb gyro plate with pita and tzatziki sauce on the side. The food was fresh and flavorful and the place was casual and comfortable. I'll be going back for certain as it was well worth the drive, especially since I figured out a way to get there without getting on Germantown Parkway. Thanks go to Kembree over at Persian Pit Bull for recommending it to me.

Since I was out East in the Far East**, I decided to roll South down Germantown Parkway towards my parents house with the idea of stopping in to kick it with Aquaman and Co., when I saw all the sunflowers at Shelby Farms seemingly smiling brightly at the traffic blowing past. I had to stop and snap a couple of photos:


**I would post my Memphis map that delineates all the degrees of "out East" but I can't find where I filed it. I'll find it some other time. For right now, click on the Kabob International link above to see their location.


Well, over the past few months it seems like every time a new place opens on South Main, some other place closes. Tyiese Scarpa shoe store is closed and totally empty as the fixtures, furniture and inventory are cleared out revealing an empty store waiting for the next tenant. And even more bad news is that Power House, the contemporary art space on G.E. Patterson, is closing as well.