Paul Ryburn's Journal

Tuesday at the Veterans Day parade, a man handed me a 20. “I’m one of your blog readers,” he told me, “So that’s a tip. Go get yourself a nice meal with it. Maybe at Bardog.”

It was too cold to stay out on Tuesday, so the 20 stayed in my wallet. I remembered it yesterday as I was at Memphis Chess Club typing my blog post. “Bardog is a fine place to eat, of course,” I thought. “But I treat myself to lunch so rarely. I should go somewhere I haven’t been before.” I was hungry for Mexican, rice in particular.

I then remembered that there’s now a Los Comales location in the former Stop 345 space on Madison near Danny Thomas. I packed up my stuff and walked down there.

One of their lunch dishes, the Rice Comales, sounded like it was exactly what I was in the mood for. It was a base of rice covered with queso and a choice of fajita meat – pollo, carne asada, or camerones. I chose “mixtos” – a little of each.

The server asked if I wanted to add vegetables for $2 more, and I decided I did.

This was absolutely DELICIOUS. The flavors all went so well together. The portion size was substantial.

The price was nice, too. With the upcharge for veggies and sales tax, I was only at $14.77. The service had been outstanding, so I tipped $4.00 and still had a little of my 20 left.

I drank water with lunch, honoring my reader’s request that the money not be spent on PBR.

See that bottle filled with light green stuff in the upper right of the photo? That’s an avocado dipping sauce for your complimentary tortilla chips. It’s very good, so definitely give it a try. Watch out, though – it’s sneaky spicy.

A+ experience and I will be back for more.

Next up was a visit to Flying Saucer, where I noticed a new, cleverly-worded plate on the wall.

Don’t get it? Let Tennessee Ernie Ford explain.

I ended the day at Earnestine & Hazel’s, where I had the pleasure of catching up with old friend and former Memphian Chad MO. Late in the evening E&H GM Keith and bartender Dani were watching the video surveillance system and told me there was a ghost about 20 feet to my left.

Today I’m back at the Chess Club, where I’ve discovered how good Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda is. Probably staying out tonight. The weather is perfect, Deep Roots is playing E&H, and I am simply not in the mood for homeless shelter chapel. Tomorrow I’ll try to get into Room in the Inn and catch up on sleep.

Grizzlies on national TV alert: at Cleveland Saturday at 4. TV: NBAtv and FanDuel Sports

Flying Saucer has $2 off bottles and cans all day Saturday.

WREG has the scoop on KUYA, a Filipino snack bar going into the former Bedrock Eats space at Main and Vance.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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The government shutdown is over after 43 days. The Senate passed a bill Monday, the House passed it Wednesday, and the Trumpster signed it. It will extend government funding until the end of January. Air traffic controllers will be able to buy their kids Christmas presents. The bill gives those with SNAP benefits two snaps up.

As for the Trumpster, he was grateful for the distraction from yesterday’s other major news story. An email from the late Jeffrey Epstein surfaced that said “Trump knew about the girls.”

In the interest of nonpartisanship, Bill Clinton probably knew about the girls too.

Let’s move on to the news…. and the big local story is GREAT WEATHER. The 14-day extended forecast calls for highs and lows to be well above normal. WREG predicts highs for the next six days – my extended birthday weekend – to be 72, 76, 77, 72, 71, and 70. Lows in the mid to upper 50s. No more than a 20 percent chance of rain any day.

The Downtown Memphis Commission will light the Downtown Christmas tree Saturday, November 22 at South Main Street and Peabody Place. 4-6 PM. Holiday market with local vendors. Live music, free cookies & hot cocoa, free photos with Santa. PRO TIP: Hide a bottle of peppermint schnapps or spiced rum in your pocket or purse and spike that cocoa.

Friday is Songwriter Night with Bob Ray, Steve Pittman, and Kitty Dearing at South Main Sounds. 7 PM.

Action News 5 reports that there’s so much to discover in Uptown.

There will be a vintage market at Soul & Spirits Saturday from 1 to 7.

Arnie Brenn and Joybomb play Havenhaus tonight at 7. 84 G.E. Patterson.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

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There will be a Loflin Yard Sale Saturday, November 22. Artists and makers will be there selling their creations; it’ll be a great chance to shop local for the holidays. If the weather’s nice they’ll be on the promenade along Carolina; if it sucks, they’ll be in the Coach House.

Today is Happy Hour Day.

Memphis Zine Fest happens Sunday at Havenhaus, 84 East G.E. Patterson Ave. Free, all ages, with a focus on self-published local authors, poets, artists, and comics.

Let’s look at college football games of interest this week.

Saturday

• South Carolina at 3 Texas A&M, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• 9 Notre Dame at 22 Pitt, 11:00 AM, ABC
• 24 South Florida at Navy, 11:00 AM, ESPN2
• Arkansas at LSU, Battle for the Boot, 11:45 AM, SEC Network
• North Texas at UAB, 1:00 PM, ESPN+
• 11 Oklahoma at 4 Alabama, 2:30 PM, ABC
• 21 Iowa at 17 USC, 2:30 PM, Big Ten Network
• Appalachian State at James Madison, 2:30 PM, ESPN+
• Memphis at East Carolina, 3:00 PM, ESPNU
• New Mexico State at 23 Tennessee, 3:15 PM, SEC Network
• Florida at 7 Ole Miss, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• 10 Texas at 5 Georgia, 6:30 PM, ABC
• Mississippi State at Missouri, 6:45 PM, SEC Network

Mark your calendars: You’ll be able to watch 7 Grizzlies games for free in November, December, and January on Action News 5.

It’s not one of the free broadcasts, but the Grizzlies are in Boston to play the Celtics tonight at 6:30. TV: FanDuel Sports

FOX 13 looks at yesterday’s Veterans’ Day parade down Second.

There’s a new format to the NBA All-Star Game this year and boy does it sound stupid.

Choose901 is looking for a marketing coordinator.

I was a lottery loser at Room in the Inn last night. About 18 men showed up and the church had 10 spots. My name didn’t get drawn. So I headed back down Poplar to the Union Mission and paid $6 to get in. I missed dinner. And they had Gus’s! BLAST IT ALL! Bellevue Baptist was the guest church for chapel and they sent their Welcome U band/choir, which develops the next generation of church youth leaders. They were excellent!

I showered and found a mat on the floor – I got there too late to get a bed – and fell asleep and dreamed that I had a red ‘68 Cutlass.

Back tomorrow with more news.

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“On the road again… Just can’t wait to get on the road again…”

“It’s up to you, New York, New York!”

The Grizzlies are on the toad again with a 6:30 tip time tonight vs. the New York Knicks. TV: FanDuel Sports

Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers are on the road as well. They tip off in Oxford at 8 PM vs. Ole Miss. TV: SEC Network

On this day in history: Many US cities hit a daily record high AND record low within a 24-hour period on November 11, 1911.

Last Friday a woman fell off a Bird scooter and was hit by a car at Second and Union.

A rendering of a proposed new I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River has been unveiled.

Speed dating comes to Loflin Yard Wednesday, November 19.

There’s a Queen tribute band at the Cannon Center Friday.

There will be a front porch blues bash at the home of W. C. Handy, Beale Street at Ida B. Wells Street, Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the film Phantom of the Opera Saturday 1-3 PM at A. Schwab. The event includes a screening and photos with the Phantom.

There’s a church in Whitehaven that is part of Room in the Inn that takes men only tonight, so I have a chance of getting in. Not a great chance, though; they only take 10 people a night. Say a prayer for me; I really don’t want to stay at the Union Mission tonight. I will if I have to, though; it’s too cold to stay out.

Back tomorrow with more news and a look at college football this weekend.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
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I had another wonderful Room in the Inn experience last night. Thanks to West Union Cumberland Presbyterian of Millington for dinner, a warm place to lay my head, and breakfast.

Did you know Memphis has a chicken & waffles food truck?

It’s parked on Exchange for the COGIC convocation. Reminder: You do not have to be a COGIC member to buy from the food trucks.

Couple more shot specials at Bardog:

Wild Turkey 101 and Fireball? That has “terrible decision” written all over it.

Sam’s Town Casino in Tunica has closed permanently after 31 years.

Sing to dead people! Elmwood Cemetery has announced Tuesday, December 16 for its annual caroling event.

Playa Bowls is coming to The Edge at 732 Madison.

Go back to the future and support the Orpheum this Friday.

The CAEL Conference comes to the Peabody this week. CAEL stands for Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

Supper Club The Queen’s Table convenes at The Artist Table, 412 S. Main, Tuesday evening.

The Trumpster has pardoned Rudy Giuliani for trying to get the 2020 election overturned.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
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I had a GREAT first-time experience at Room in the Inn last night!

RITI is a nonprofit organization that connects those without housing to comfortable, safe places to stay for a night at partner churches. If there are more guests than there are spots at the partner churches, a lottery system is used. I have tried to get in before, but haven’t made it past the lottery.

Saturday nights, I’ve heard, are good nights to try to get in RITI because there is a church that takes men only. So yesterday afternoon about 4 I went to the RITI headquarters at First Presbyterian Church on Poplar and threw my name in the hat.

This time my luck held up. There were 14 spots for men and only 13 showed up. At 5 PM I got on a bus to Emmanuel United Methodist in Germantown.

They had beds set up for us in the church gym – real beds, not cots. They also had dinner tables set up in the gym. We put our things down on our beds and then sat at the table for dinner. There was fried chicken, cornbread, cabbage, pinto beans and neckbones, and mac & cheese. For dessert, I had cherry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

After dinner, guests could take advantage of a shower, a clothes closet, and Wi-Fi. I chose to go straight to bed and got 10 fantastic hours of sleep. In the morning there were breakfast sandwiches and Ziploc gallon to-go bags with lunches for us. They dropped us off Downtown at 7 this morning. They gave each of us a day-long bus pass for today.

Best of all, not one person from Emmanuel preached to us. They didn’t tell us about Jesus’ love. They DEMONSTRATED it through their actions.

I’m going to try RITI again tonight, when they will have a different men–only partner church. Then on Monday, back to the Mission. Or tonight, if my lottery luck runs out.

News tidbit I picked up while out there: Starting November 16, all of MATA’s services will be free for 90 days.

Book recommendation engine: book.sv

We made hand turkeys at Bardog yesterday. If you look carefully, you should have no trouble figuring out which one’s mine.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers host San Francisco this afternoon at 2 at FedExForum. TV: ESPN+

I made it to the Saucer for their $12 Downtown Dining Week special, the Doc Holiday burger with loaded fries. Those jalapenos lit me up! You can get the DDW deals through Sunday.

WWE Monday Night Raw returns to FedExForum on Monday, February 16. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Play some Billy Joel in observance of World Pianist Day.

The CA has photos of dive bars around Memphis including Max’s Sports Bar, Earnestine & Hazel’s (DANI!!!!!), and Momma’s.

Ja Morant looked good and our rookie Cedric Coward did too in the Grizzlies’ 118-104 win over Dallas last night.

Next up: the Grizzlies host the OKC Thunder Sunday at five. It’s Military Appreciation Day. TV: FanDuel Sports

Today is Aid and Abet Punsters Day, a holiday I know Jack about.

It’s also Harvey Wallbanger Day. Learn about this cousin to the mimosa.

The Florida Gators have a basketball player who is 7’9″.

Journey brings their Final Frontier Tour to FedExForum on March 21.

I stayed out all night last night, figuring it was one of the last days of the year when the weather would be cooperative. As usual, I sat on a park bench in front of the Moxy Hotel. There’s a woman about 50, dirty blonde hair, resembles a toad, who for some reason likes to sit on the park bench with me. She got in a shouting match with a passerby last night, waking up every guest in all 3 Court Square hotels as she called him the N-word and he threatened to beat her ass. After about five minutes I moved so I wouldn’t be there when the cops showed up.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
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The Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks tonight at 7. It’s HBCU Night. Fans attending receive a Classic Edition Grizzlies hat. There’s a Buckets & Brews specialty ticket. Tonight’s game counts as a West Group B game in the NBA in-season tournament nobody cares about. TV: FanDuel Sports

Today is International Merlot Day.

ESPN has a long piece on Ja Morant: his suspension, his future with the Grizzlies

ESPN FPI has the football Memphis Tigers a 73% favorite to beat Tulane tonight. (8:00, ESPN)

There will be a Goner Records pop-up at Wiseacre Downtown Sunday afternoon. Live music by local acts, Wiseacre beer, cocktails, wine, Little Bettie pizza.

Itta Bena will be closed for a private event tonight.

Has anyone witnessed the making of sugar packet lemonade at any Downtown restaurants this week? If you know, you know.

The MemphisWeather.net blog says we can expect weather whiplash over the next week. Warm (for November), then storms, then a short-lived cold spell.

NFL fans, your Sunday starts early this week. NFL Network will broadcast Atlanta vs. Indianapolis live from Berlin at 8:30 AM Central.

Check out the fall cocktails that just landed at Memphis Chess Club.

Road trip: The free, 3-day National Folk Fest is just a few hours down I-55 South in Jackson, MS this weekend.

Coca-Cola Holiday Creamy Vanilla is about to be released.

Thinking about trying to stay at Room in the Inn Saturday and Sunday. Churches around the city host small groups (no more than 15) for dinner and a safe night’s sleep. RITI has two major advantages over the Union Mission:

1. No six dollar cover charge – RITI is free; and
2. Guests are not forced to attend a chapel service.

I tried to get into RITI a couple of times last season (it runs November 1-March 31) but space is limited and women & children have priority. However, a buddy of mine who’s stayed at RITI this season tells me there’s a partner church that accepts men only on the weekends. So I’ll give it a try and see if my name gets drawn in the bed lottery.

GO TIGERS beat Tulane and strengthen your grip on that CFP spot.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
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The Union Mission has changed its rules for new men. Previously they gave men staying there for the first time 60 days before they started charging the six dollar nightly cover. Now men get 10 free days and

• Then they have to visit one of the pastors, who asks them if they’ve considered what will happen to them in the afterlife. (“Have you given any thought to where you’re going after you die? Do you know for sure where you’ll be going?”)  That visit earns them 15 more free days, for a total of 25.
• Then they have to visit Christ Community, which comes out to the Mission Monday and Thursday mornings, for a basic medical check-up. That visit earns them 35 more free days for a total of 60.

Since it was already past my 60th day when the new rule was adapted, it didn’t apply to me. I still have to pay six dollars every night.

Get ready for cold! We’ve got lows in the 30s coming. That presents a bit of a dilemma for me. I will have access to the winter coat I had last year, but I won’t be able to get it until about November 29. Until then I’m gonna have to get by with a windbreaker jacket and hoodie. Pray for warm weather, please.

I want to tell you about good Downtown Dining Week deals at two of my favorite places. I haven’t eaten either of these (yet) but I’ve seen them come out of the kitchen and they look delicious:

• Flying Saucer has their Doc Holliday Burger for $12 – 100% beef patty, bacon, cheddar, a fried onion slice, BBQ sauce, and beefsteak tomato. That price is only 50 cents below regular – so why am I pronouncing this an excellent value? Because you get an upgrade on the fries that come with the burger. They’re loaded fries covered in cheese and bacon.
• Bardog has a 3-course dinner for $20.25. You start with a salad, the main event is lobster poutine, and the finish is your choice of blueberry bread pudding or gooey butter cake.

The city of Memphis has finalized the purchase of the Sheraton Hotel. A city’s convention center hotel is such a big part of the overall first impression that city makes. The Sheraton under its former owners wasn’t making a good one.

It’s International Stout Day. Celebrate with a Guinness at The Brass Door.

It’s also National Nachos Day. Celebrate at Huey’s.

Join Memphis Social Bicycle Club for Critical Mass, a free, family-friendly 5-mile ride around Downtown Sunday. Meet at Wiseacre at noon. 1 PM ride.

From Choose901: Fall brings greenery to the Pinch District

The CA has a list of where to pre-order Thanksgiving meals to take home.

Brian Blake, Erin McLendon, and Jeff Hulett play South Main Sounds Friday at 7 PM.

There’s trivia by Papa Bear Trivia in the lobby of the Moxy Hotel 7-9 PM the first Friday of every month, including this Friday.

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
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The first official CFP committee rankings of 2025 are out, and Memphis didn’t make the top 25. But neither did any other Group of Five team, and Memphis is projected as the G5 representative, slotting into the playoff’s 12 seed.

Let’s have a look at games of interest this week…

Thursday

• UTSA at South Florida, 6:30 PM, ESPN

Friday

• Tulane at Memphis, 8:00 PM, ESPN

Saturday

• 5 Georgia at Mississippi State, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• 7 BYU at 8 Texas Tech, 11:00 AM, ABC
• James Madison at Marshall, 11:00 AM, ESPN2
• Southern Miss at Arkansas State, 11:00 AM, ESPNU
• The Citadel at 6 Ole Miss, noon, SEC Network
• 3 Texas A&M at 22 Missouri, 2:30 PM, ABC
• 9 Oregon at 20 Iowa, 2:30 PM, CBS
• Auburn at 16 Vanderbilt, 3:00 PM, SEC Network
• LSU at 4 Alabama, 6:30 PM, ABC
• Navy at 10 Notre Dame, 6:30 PM, NBC/Peacock

The exteriors of the Orpheum and the Halloran Centre are getting a makeover.

Congratulations to Downtown’s Felicia Suzanne Restaurant and The Lobbyist, both of which were recently recommended in Michelin’s guide to the American South.

The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history.

It’s Civic Engagement Night as the Grizzlies host the Houston Rockets tonight at 7. TV: FanDuel Sports

The Grizzlies seek a systems administrator to join their IT team.

Hollywood Feed seeks a social media coordinator.

Automatic Slim’s is hiring bartenders, servers, and a front-of-house manager.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com