Month: June 2001

Categories
News News Feature

MILLER GETS NAIFEH’S NOD FOR PBA

As of this writing, Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout has not exercised his prerogative, secured last week by agreement with his city-government counterpart, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, to name a member of the state House of Representatives to the Public Building Authority that will oversee construction of the new arena to house the transplanted Grizzlies of the NBA.

The county mayor, who was taken by surprise when Herenton unilaterally named state Senator John Ford to the Authority, promptly insisted on the right to name a House member. Legislation mandating a member from each chamber went virtually unnoticed through the House and Senate recently and was signed into law by Governor Don Sundquist.

Ford had been recommended, as it turns out, by Lt. Governor John Wilder, the Senate’s presiding officer. But his appointment by Herenton can also be regarded as a further sign of rapprochement between the Memphis mayor and the still politically influential Ford family, as well as recognition that Ford has frequently been a confidante for prominent Memphis developers who maintain an interest in where and how the new arena is built.

(State Senator Steve Cohen, a longtime boosters of both collegiate and professional sports in Memphis, had also wanted the Seate appointment.)

Almost as soon as Rout’s right to name a House member Ð in tandem with House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh of Covington — had been established, state Rep. Paul Stanley publicly recommended his House GOP colleague Tre Hargett of Bartlett in a letter to Rout which Stanley made public. Another House member, Rep. Larry Miller, a North Memphis Democrat and an African American, also made it known he wants to serve on the PBA.

Hargett’s candidacy has not sat well with state Rep. Kathryn Bowers and other Shelby House members who were active in passing enabling legislation to get state aid for the arena. Hargett, as Bowers and others note, was an opponent of the legislation, as he is of a good many other proposals that involve additional financial commitment on the part of state government.(Hargett was recently co-chair of a special House committee looking into budget-cutting possibilities.)

It may not sit well, either, with Rout, who put himself on the line for the arena and worked mightily to work out acceptable funding sources for it.

It surely doesn’t sit well with Naifeh, who with Rout will make the choice once the two of them sit down to review possibilities. The Speaker made a point of walking down the aisle in the aftermath of the unprecedented Sunday session and, clearly aware that Miller and Bowers were discussing the matter with a visitor, saying in a loud voice, “Larry, you’re my man! You’re my man!”

Since matters of political and racial balance are important in determining the PBA’s membership, however, and since Hargett is regarded as unacceptable by Bowers and others, a compromise solution may emerge. As Bowers sees it, Rep. Joe Kent, a moderate white Republican from Southeast Memphis, would be an acceptable member, and she foresees a resolution whereby both Kent and Miller get named to the Authority.

“After all,” she notes, “the legislation says at least one House member has to be on the PBA. It doesn’t says more than one can’t be.”

Categories
Hot Properties Real Estate

The Global Village

Memphis has about 12,000 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and about 7,000 of them are bungalows. Most American bungalows were built in the early 20th century, but the bungalow has a long history closely tied to the global influence of the British empire.

The word “bungalow” comes from the Bengali bangala, which refers to both the Bengal region of India and the area’s native houses, one-story buildings with a porch or “verandah,” probably a Persian word. The imperialists and entrepreneurs who went to India devised many variations on the bangala, incorporating characteristics of English cottages and the conveniences of Western civilization, as well as the British army tent. The resulting bungalows usually had a central living room and an aura of openness created by banks of windows and many exterior doors which opened to porches almost entirely surrounding the core rooms.

The European and American bungalows that developed over the next century were eclectic creatures, idealized retreats set in a garden and associated with a return to the simple life. In many former colonial territories, “bungalow” still refers to a building in a private compound.

This bungalow, mid-block on a shady stretch of Willett between Poplar and Court, embodies many characteristics of earlier Anglo-Indian bungalows. Unlike most American bungalows, it has a symmetrical façade. A prominent gable with Craftsman brackets covers the broad front porch. The central front door has a distinctive transom with thin, horizontal panes. The door opens into a hall, in the medieval sense of entrance room and multipurpose space. Originally the living room, it could serve equally well as the dining room or as a parlor with a couple of easy chairs pulled up to the Colonial Revival fireplace. Doors from this room lead to the kitchen, the back hall, and a large adjoining room, which could be either the living or dining room.

The kitchen has been refurbished with new cupboards and commercial-style appliances. Its arrangement, with an island at the center and a wide-cased opening to the breakfast room, encourages congregating while providing efficient work areas. The breakfast room has double windows and its original glass-doored china cabinet. The original walk-in pantry has been modified to also serve as a laundry.

A vestibule off the kitchen has doors to the basement and the huge, screened back porch, which, like most of the other rooms, has a ceiling fan. One of the two downstairs bedrooms has a French door to the porch. The downstairs bath retains its original hexagonal-tile floor, linen closet with full-height double doors, and classic dish-base tub. The Craftsman-detailed stair in the back hall has pyramid-capped newels and block-spindle balusters.

The upstairs room has four pairs of casement windows facing east and a pair of double-hung windows on the south side. It has a full bath and two large closets. Deciding whether to use it as master bedroom, home office, or summer parlor would be a tough call.

All the rooms have the same period-appropriate color scheme — straw, sage, putty — that imparts a soothing glow. Floors in the living/dining area and the downstairs bedrooms were hand-sanded and have a dark, rich finish. The kitchen, breakfast room, and upstairs floors are painted a light khaki, a traditional country house treatment.

The backyard, shaded by a grove of pecan trees, is enclosed by a high fence with an automatic gate. A new tin-roofed storage shed contributes to the colonial compound feel of this sensitively rehabilitated enclave in the heart of Midtown.

152 N. Willett

1,800 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths; $168,500, FSBO: 237-4975, 525-3044

Categories
Letters To The Editor Opinion

Postscript

The Art of Diversity

To the Editor:

David Hall’s art column “Signifying Nothing” (June 21st issue) was excellent. When I received an invitation to attend the diversity forum of the UrbanArt Commission, my response to them was couched in most of the same assumptions as those of Hall.

It is not surprising that art should be swept up and carried along in what is a tide in contemporary mentality. PC mantras such as “diversity” have led many to a point where they don’t see “All have won and all shall have prizes” as the laughable absurdity it is.

Hall speculates briefly that something may come along to point the way for art. I suggest that that something may be an attitude analogous to what is so often said about pornography: We may eventually quit trying to define it and just let those who are so inclined recognize it when they see it.

Ben Brewer, Memphis

To the Editor:

The UrbanArt Commission is committed to diversity in all of our projects — this means reaching out to all artists in the region regardless of the medium and style of their work as well as increasing the number of African-American and minority participants. It is unfortunate that David Hall chose to misconstrue the purpose and outcome of an event he did not attend. Had he attended the forum he would have known that much of the discussion was centered on networking and better communication between artists and arts organizations. Had he followed up with any of the panelists he would have learned that as a result of the forum artists have contacted the UAC, the Memphis Arts Festival, and the Center for Arts Education to get involved in their programs, and individual artists have begun to take steps of their own to begin to improve communication in the arts community.

It is irresponsible of the Flyer to publish an article based on hearsay and misguided assumptions. This is exactly the type of ill-informed negativity that the participating organizations are attempting to eliminate.

Carissa Hussong, Executive Director, UrbanArt Commission, Memphis

David Hall responds: God save us all, not from irrelevance or inadequacy but negativity. It is unfortunate that Hussong equates a dissenting opinion with negativity when it could just as well be signified as diversity.

Prefers Children’s Homes

To the Editor:

Rebekah Gleaves’ disturbing account of child care in Tennessee (“Taking Responsibility,” June 14th issue) reminded me of a woman I met while living in France. Madame Roc considered herself fortunate to have been placed in a children’s home when her parents divorced. They both were able to see her and both contributed to her support, and they were advised not to criticize each other in front of their daughter.

In contrast to the chaotic lives of American children described in Gleaves’ article, the French woman grew up in a stable environment with other young people she considered her brothers and sisters. She described her childhood as happy. How much better this seems than the horrors depicted in the Flyer‘s story.

I don’t know what the solution is, but had I been abandoned as a child I would have much preferred permanent residence in a children’s home to placement in a foster home, where my situation would have been, at best, tenuous.

Anita Martin, Memphis

Grand Slam

To the Editor:

The Tennessee Department of Education has identified a number of Memphis city schools as in need of reform. As a consultant employed by the state and Memphis City Schools, I visit four of these schools. The four share the same detriments, but this letter is about a gigantic benefit they enjoy.

The Memphis Redbirds RBI (Return Baseball to the Inner City) program is doing a world of good in my client schools. As I walk their halls I encounter scores of young people wearing uniforms provided by the Redbirds. I attend games played with equipment provided by the Redbirds. Without the philanthropic efforts of our home team, hundreds of young people would be denied the opportunity to represent their school on the diamond. We need not speculate about what would fill the vacuum in their day if baseball and softball were not available. The enhanced self-esteem experienced by these youngsters will certainly be reflected in their classwork.

Special commendation should be given to Reggie Williams, now a front-office executive and a voice of the Redbirds. He was once an administrator with MCS and is a product of our school system. Under his leadership RBI has altered the lives of hundreds of young Memphians. The challenge goes forth to other business leaders to soar as high.

Joseph Terre Jr., Tennessee Exemplary Educators, Memphis

The Memphis Flyer encourages reader response. Send mail to: Letters to the Editor, POB 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. Or call Back Talk at 575-9405. Or send us e-mail at letters@memphisflyer.com. All responses must include name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters should be no longer than 250 words.

Categories
Editorial Opinion

A New Season

One contest is now over — that between the adherents of building a new arena in Memphis for the soon-to-be-transplanted Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association and the opponents of such an arena (or at least of the public financing of it).

Through vigorous efforts on the part of Mayors Herenton and Rout and numerous influential private citizens, solutions were found to the most vexing issues raised by the opposition. What these came down to were doubts about tying the county’s property tax to the project via general obligation bonds and concerns about getting more private money into the arrangement.

Both objections were dealt with — the former by a decision to shift the local-government burden from G.O. bonds to revenue bonds, which do not directly involve the taxpayer, and the latter by pledges from local citizens, both members of the proposed ownership group and others, to pony up for season-ticket commitments and a share of the arena financing.

With that, the previously unknown Heidi Shafer, an ad hoc activist who had started vigorously promoting a petition drive to force a referendum on the subject of the arena, threw in the towel. As she noted, her reason for carrying on the fight no longer existed, and she wondered out loud about the switch to revenue bonds: Why wasn’t it done that way in the first place?

The answer to that, we suspect, lies in a phrase used — in a wholly different context — by Shelby County commissioner Walter Bailey, another arena opponent. “Bait and switch,” charged Bailey about the shift to revenue bonds, but his focus was on the local taxpayer, not the current Vancouver Grizzlies ownership and the NBA, who were the real foils in that maneuver. Whether intentionally or not, Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley and league officials were baited with general obligation bonds and switched over to the riskier (for them) revenue bonds once they had virtually set up camp in Memphis and it was difficult, if not virtually impossible, for them to turn back.

The fact is, the bait-and-switch aspects of the deal, improvisational and inadvertent as they no doubt were, proved to be indispensable to its completion. It is hard to imagine any other way in which the local opposition, which was beginning to be considerable, could have been stilled. In that sense, Shafer and her fellow grass-roots operatives were not losers but winners, in that they forced an arrangement far more advantageous to Memphis and Shelby County.

The same can be said of the indefatigable Bailey, who promised — once a commission vote to approve the arena project seemed certain — to do his best to make sure the whole thing “works out.” His way of doing that, most recently, was to keep bearing down on the local donors who have promised financial input to make sure they follow through. With that kind of hard-nosed watchdog on our case, who among us would not do just as he had promised?

The Baileys and Shafers and other skeptics are a large part of the reason we can all celebrate the outcome. We think the city and county have come out ahead, and we look forward to the Grizzlies’ first games here this fall at The Pyramid and the beginning of a new season in which all of us are finally on the same side.

Categories
Cover Feature News

the Big Empty

Quick: If Aerosmith came to town, where would they play?

If you said The Pyramid, you’re right. When the band comes to Memphis in September, that’s where they’ll be rocking.

In the next few years, though, that question might not be so easy to answer. Not only will the new downtown arena provide a home for the NBA Grizzlies, it will also serve as another concert and event facility. Larger touring acts like Aerosmith will probably want to play there, continuing Memphis’ merry-go-round trend of trading one venue for another.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, concert-goers packed the Mid-South Coliseum to see their favorite bands. As time went by, many concerts left the Coliseum for the greener grass of the Mud Island Amphitheater. A few years later, it was The Pyramid, and then the glittering stages of the Tunica casinos.

In sports the phenomenon is the same. The Liberty Bowl took over where Crump Stadium left off. The Redbirds left Tim McCarver Stadium for AutoZone Park. And RiverKings hockey deserted the Coliseum for the DeSoto County Civic Center.

While the Coliseum seems the hardest hit, many of Memphis’ venues are dark for much of the year. While sports teams come and go, two national trends have made the chances of getting a particular concert slimmer than before. Event promoters nationwide have consolidated into a few key companies, meaning less competition between shows. Along with that, tours have gotten shorter. An artist who at one time might have played 100 tour dates will now do about 30 or 40. And unfortunately, Memphis isn’t always a city they have to play.

“Memphis is on the cusp of whether or not it will be included in those 30 or 40 shows,” says Alan Freeman, general manager of The Pyramid.

Memphis does have an advantage because of its location — it’s on the way to and from other, larger cities — and its rich music history. Even so, this summer Memphis’ concert calendar looks weak. With the exception of a few shows — Aerosmith and 3 Doors Down among them — there’s not much going on.

Though the city may lack for concerts, it doesn’t lack for concert venues. Larger “name” acts can play The Pyramid, the Coliseum, or Mud Island, while smaller acts can take the stage at The Orpheum or the Bartlett and Germantown performing arts centers. When Lyle Lovett rides into town in August, he’ll be performing as part of the Memphis Botanic Garden’s new summer concert series. Memphis’ most popular music event, the Beale Street Music Fest, is at Tom Lee Park every year. Last month’s Christian music One Festival was at Shelby Farms. And bars all around town highlight bands still trying to make a name for themselves.

And then there is what Charlie Ryan, the general manager for Ticketmaster in the Mid-South, calls the single most important factor in Memphis’ concert market: Tunica.

According to Susan Hart, the entertainment manager for Sam’s Town Tunica, the casino hosts about 70 concerts a year. Just in the last couple of months, Wynonna, the Wallflowers, and Jerry Lee Lewis have all performed there. In comparison, The Pyramid does about 12 to 20 concerts a year.

“Tunica completely changed the dynamics of this market,” says Ryan. “What happened in Las Vegas is happening here.”

So do we have too many venues?

Jerry Schilling, president and CEO of the Memphis Shelby County Music Commission, says no.

“I don’t think so. I was actually concerned we were going to eliminate one or two with the no-compete clause.”

During early negotiations about the proposed downtown arena, a no-compete clause said large acts couldn’t play at another venue the same night as a Grizzlies game. That clause was eliminated, although the NBA arena retained first right of refusal for touring acts.

“More than likely,” Schilling says, “acts will probably want to go to the new arena anyway.”

Some even say Memphis doesn’t have enough venues.

Chris Taylor, operations manager of KISS FM, laments Memphis’ lack of a true “shed,” an outdoor venue with a 5,000-seat pavilion and a 5,000- to 10,000-seat lawn area. Sheds snag most of the summer concert traffic, especially festivals like the H.O.R.D.E. Tour or Lilith Fair.

“In a roundabout way,” Taylor says, “that’s what the Memphis Botanic Garden is doing with their newest thing.”

Schilling also applauds the Botanic Garden for hosting events such as Bluestock and the Isaac Hayes show earlier this month.

“We needed a venue in East Memphis that could do 5,000 to 7,000 people,” says Schilling. “The first one sold out. That shows it’s not about how many buildings you have. You’ve got to get the right acts playing at the right venue.”

But while having a facility in every corner of the city is good for consumers, it might not be great for the venues.

“The public can never have too many venues,” says Benny Lendermon, president of the Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC). “But if you’re looking at economic success, absolutely, you can have too many venues.”

The RDC assumes management responsibility for Mud Island on July 1st. “Because of competition, [the amphitheater] is either too big or too small,” Lendermon says.

Built over 20 years ago, the amphitheater seats about 5,000 and has long been a favorite concert site for many Memphians. Unfortunately, there just are not many shows there anymore. In its heyday, the Mud Island Amphitheater hosted about 35 significant events a year. Last year, it might have seen seven or eight.

“Mud Island found a niche a number of years ago in up-and-coming acts and oldie groups. When Tunica came around, it really hurt that opportunity,” says Lendermon.

The amphitheater, which isn’t compatible with some newer sound and lighting equipment, just couldn’t compete with the newer casino theaters.

And for many Memphis venues, it may be just a matter of time before something similar happens.

KISS FM’s annual Tango show used to be held at the Mid-South Coliseum. But this year the event was held at the DeSoto County Civic Center. Taylor says that the move came for a number of reasons.

“The backstage was perfect for our needs. It’s difficult to do a show with multiple bands. You need dressing rooms for all of them,” says Taylor.

“Some venues are not equipped for that. The Civic Center was,” he adds.

The station also wanted to have a special VIP area, something the Coliseum just doesn’t have the space for.

The Coliseum, which had a budget surplus only a few years ago, now operates at a loss. The question arises: Will the same thing happen to The Pyramid?

“We’ll probably be able to keep some events,” Freeman says. “Some events will probably move permanently.” He cites the Harlem Globetrotters game as one annual event that will probably make the switch.

Freeman, whose company also manages the Coliseum, estimates that the facility is probably in use 100 days a year; The Pyramid is in use about 80 or 90.

“If you’re looking at date availability, you could easily put everything in one venue,” says Freeman. It wouldn’t be a sell-out crowd every time, and it wouldn’t be a perfect fit for every event, he says, but it could be done.

Memphis Venues

Compiled by Mary Cashiola, Chris Przybyszewski, and Hannah Walton

PHOTO DAN BALL

AutoZone Park

Age: Babe in the woods

Seating: 14,000

Main Event: Redbirds games

The Usual Spectators: Young urbanites looking for a place to start their evenings,

families looking for a place to end theirs

High Point: Opened to sell-out crowds and a dream season for the ‘Birds

Low Point: None so far

Cost to Build: Including land and engineering, $80 million

In the Crystal Ball: If the park is kept up and service and entertainment levels

stay high, should remain the jewel of downtown

Bartlett Performing Arts Center

Age: Toddler

Seating: 350

Main Event: A September to June season of B- and C-list acts

The Usual Spectators: Suburbanites

High Point: Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins

Low Point: Nothing obvious

Cost to Build: $3.1 million

In the Crystal Ball: May have a difficult time competing with both GPAC

and the new Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

(Cook Convention Center)

Age: Still in the womb; due date is August 2002

Seating: Just over 2,000

Main Event: Will be home to the Memphis Symphony Orchestra

The Usual Spectators: Society crowd, convention-goers

High Point: Remains to be seen

Low Point: Already a year behind schedule; both county and city, as well as

contractors, expected to bring lawsuits over the delays

Cost to Build: About $79 million for the entire expansion project

In the Crystal Ball: Poised to steal some of the Orpheum’s thunder

PHOTO DAN BALL

Crump Stadium

Age: Old-timer

Seating: 10,000

Main Events: High school football games

The Usual Spectators: High school

parents, students

High Point: Was once the site of legendary football games between Memphis State, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State

Low Point: No college ball in 40 years

Cost to Build: $35,000

In the Crystal Ball: Historic status or wrecking ball?

DeSoto County Civic Center

Age: Baby

Seating: 8,000-10,000

Main Event: RiverKings Hockey

The Usual Spectators: Memphians willing to make the drive for minor-league hockey

High Point: 2001 CHL playoffs

Low Point: Houn’Dawgs or Explorers games with 100 fans or less

In the Crystal Ball: Attendance at hockey games is already lagging. The Houn’Dawgs only lasted one season before league was disbanded. Look for a steady stream of conventions, private events, and high school proms.

Germantown Performing Arts Centre

Age: Just a kid

Seating: 824

Main Event: IRIS, as well as Broadway, dance, and family series

The Usual Spectators: East Memphians looking for a little class, families looking for a little culture

High Point: Last year IRIS season sold out

Low Point: In 1996, allegations of mismanagement and sexual harassment rocked the venue.

Cost to Build: $4.35 million

In the Crystal Ball: GPAC lures a variety of top-notch acts; should continue to be able to fill the house.

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

Age: Getting up there

Seating: 62,380

Main Events: U of M football, The Liberty Bowl, Southern Heritage Classic

The Usual Spectators: Football fans

High Point: Probably the U of M’s victory over UT in 1996

Low Point: Short-lived CFL Mad Dogs experiment

Cost to Build: $3.7 million

In the Crystal Ball: Still no sign of the NFL

PHOTO DAN BALL

Mid-South Coliseum

Age: Approaching mid-life crisis

Seating: 11,555

Main Events: Occasional events such as last month’s “Clash of the Legends” wrestling match or April’s Al Chymia Shrine Circus but more often home to mundane matters such as jury selection

The Usual Spectators: Varies by event

High Points: 1980s U of M basketball games; 1960s Beatles concert

Low Point: Lost the RiverKings to the DeSoto County Civic Center in 1999; appears to be in free-fall

Cost to Build: $4.9 million

In the Crystal Ball: Without reliable long-term tenant, outlook is bleak, despite “Historic Building” designation.

Mud Island Amphitheater

Age: Going to keggers and taking mid-terms

Seating: 5,064

Main Events: Once home to thriving summer concert series, now occasionally hosting the likes of Laff Yo Azz Off and the All-Access Hip Hop Tour with Da Brat

The Usual Spectators: Hip, young urbanites

High Point: Jimmy Buffet concerts

Low Point: Now

Cost to Build: Part of $63 million Mud Island Park project

In the Crystal Ball: The RDC says it’s going to change marketing tactics next year. If new strategy works, great. If not, name could be mud.

The Orpheum

Age: Active senior

Seating: 2,500

Main Events: Ballet Memphis, Opera Memphis, traveling Broadway shows

The Usual Spectators: Culture Club

High Point: Many, including Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and appearances by Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Burt Reynolds, former President Carter, and Gladys Knight, to name a few

Low Point: Sally Struthers starring in Grease

In the Crystal Ball: Stands to lose two of its major tenants — Ballet Memphis and Opera Memphis — once the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts opens

PHOTO DAN BALL

The Pyramid

Age: Teenybopper

Seating: 22,000

Main Events: Wonders Exhibit, U of M basketball, big-time concerts

The Usual Spectators: Tiger basketball fans; those who don’t mind shelling out the bucks to see Elton John and Billy Joel

High Point: Probably this year, with high U of M attendance, Billy Joel et al.

Low Point: Sidney Schlenker

Cost to Build: Over $60 million

In the Crystal Ball: New arena will be a tough competitor for concerts, especially if sightlines and acoustics are better.

Tim McCarver Stadium

Age: Old and in the way

Main Events: None

The Usual Spectators: None

High Point: Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan roaming the outfield

Low Point: Now

In the Crystal Ball: Ashes to ashes and dust to dust

USA Baseball Stadium in Millington

Age: Learning to drive

Seating: 5,000

Main Events: High school baseball

The Usual Spectators: Parents, college scouts

High Point: Training field for U.S. Olympic baseball teams in 1988, 1992, and 1996

Low Point: Lost the Olympic gig after 1996

In the Crystal Ball: Field is nicer than many minor-league parks; unfortunately Memphis just built nicest minor-league park in America

Tunica — The Wild Card

In November, the Isle of Capri opened a $14 million, 1,500-seat, two-theater entertainment center for Vegas-type shows. Gold Strike, Hollywood Casino, Horseshoe, and Sam’s Town all have built similar state-of-the-art venues.

The casinos host acts almost every night, many of the caliber that used to come to Mud Island Amphitheater. Entertainment runs the gamut: from Willie Nelson to Carrot Top to the Go-Gos. The future: Looks bright.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Filling Station

Sabor translates as “flavor,” and at Sabor Tropical, on Lamar Avenue, there are plenty of flavors to sample. The menu offers 30 entrées, including pork, chicken, beef, and seafood dishes. While there’s not an appetizer section on the menu, we chose a grilled sandwich roll stuffed with layers of pork, ham, dill pickle chips, melted Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard to munch on while we attempted to narrow our entrée choices.

For the record, Cuban cuisine is amazing for the variety of dishes, the quantities served, and the ethnic mix of Russian, Chinese, and European influences, with a particular emphasis on Spanish and African cultures. Dishes are typically served with black beans mixed with white rice, yellow rice, or white rice and fried plantains. Plantains are closely related to the banana but have a higher starch and lower sugar content. They require a longer cooking time for savory and sweet dishes and are a staple in Latin America. (If you are buying plantains in a local grocery, be aware that if the skin is green, the fruit is not fully ripened. The skin should turn yellow and then black to ensure peak ripeness.)

The Bistec delmonico, arroz blanco, negros y maduros proved to be a steak smothered in sautéed onions drizzled with fresh lime juice and accompanied by a rice and black bean mixture circled by fried plantains. The cut of beef was a little fatty and we were not asked our preference for cooking the meat. Unfortunately, the beef was overcooked and a little tough. The Cerdo a la juliana, moros y yuca was better: succulent strips of pork mingled with red and green peppers sautéed with julienned strips of onion. The pork had been marinated in garlic and olive oil, roasted, and then served with a mix of rice and fried plantains. The pork and plantains sent my tastebuds into overload.

The Zarzuela de mariscos, arroz blanco y maduros arrived at our table in a large metal pot containing a blend of shrimp, black mussels, squid, white fish, and baby scallops swimming in a Creole sauce of butter, garlic, paprika, and a hint of red pepper. The aroma of this seafood stew gave me goose bumps, and we could not wait to dive for treasures in this dish. The seafood was fresh and perfectly tender and had absorbed the flavors from the liquid. This is a must-try for anyone who enjoys seafood. Yellow rice and plantains were served separately and offered a visual complement to the stew.

To be adventurous we selected an evening special for our final entrée. The Medallones de pargo, a red snapper fillet bathed in butter, fresh lime juice, a hint of garlic, paprika, and fresh cilantro, literally melted in our mouths. This fish was full of flavor, and to my amazement the lime juice and paprika did not overpower it. A side order of yellow rice and fried plantains again accompanied the entrée.

Sabor Tropical offers a limited dessert and coffee menu. The casco de guayaba con queso crema proved to be a guava fruit, seeded, peeled, and smothered in light corn syrup and served with a strip of cream cheese. (Guava is an inadequately appreciated, sweet, pink, hearty, and juicy fruit. So try it.) Flan, the very popular open tart, filled with caramel and cream custard, is rich, and Sabor Tropical’s version is very rich and the perfect match for a strong cup of coffee. The Cuban coffee (espresso) and the Cortadito (café au lait) appeared in small, bright yellow- and blue-ceramic cups and saucers. The perfect ending to an authentic Cuban dining experience.

Sabor Tropical is at 3999 Lamar Avenue. Hours: Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. For carry-out, call 566-0960.

food notes

by Hannah Walton

What a Dip

The Melting Pot recently opened its second restaurant in Memphis at 126-128 Monroe Avenue. The first, near the Wolfchase Galleria, is regularly packed with people who want their fondue.

Explains general manager Scott Thiele, “It’s not just the normal out-to-eat routine, but a totally new experience.”

Of course, Thiele is not altogether right. Fondue has recently returned in popularity after the intial craze faded out about the same time as disco. At the Melting Pot, customers can choose cheese fondues for appetizers, flavored fondues for meat and vegetable entrées, and chocolate fondues for dessert. Dippees include strawberries and lobster and bread. Dips: bouillon; Swiss and cheddar cheeses; dark, milk, and white chocolates.

Entrées range in price from $12.95 to $24.95 and include salad and vegetables. The Melting Pot is open 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Out Of Town

Talk about a fish tale. They’ll be in and out of the water in Chattanooga this summer when local restaurateur Jimmy Ishii opens a Sekisui across from the Tennessee Aquarium — the world’s largest freshwater aquarium.

The 4,600-square-foot Sekisui Chattanooga will seat more than 100 people. In the front of the restaurant, a sushi bar will serve traditional Japanese cuisine; the back will have a hibachi table with additional grilled Japanese specials. Blue neon waves will be incorporated into the restaurant’s design to carry out the aquatic theme.

Chef Kazumichi Sempuku is one of six chefs who will be creating new specials daily. Sempuku has worked in Honolulu and St. Louis.

“He is a long-time friend of mine and a very, very good chef,” Ishii says.

Ishii says downtown Chattanooga is an ideal location because of the lack of Japanese cuisine there. He says the aquarium across the street adds a nice touch.

Since Ishii seems to own nearly every restaurant in Memphis, it’s natural that he look beyond the city limits. As Ishii says, “When people become addicted to sushi I will be a happy man.”

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Sports Sports Feature

GO FOR NUMBER ONE. GO FOR SHANE BATTIER.

Here’s the deal. The Washington Wizards apparently want to trade their number one-draft pick. One very real possibility is to trade it to the Grizzlies for point guard Mike Bibby (8.4 apg) along with the Grizz’s number-six pick. The Grizzlies would also get Wizards forward Tyrone Nesby.

The Grizz should take that number-one pick by all means. Bibby is a great passer and he can score on a consistent basis (15.9 ppg). He’s also young and has potential to grow. But the Grizz need help in defense and rebounding and Bibby might be more useful as bait than as the point-guard of the future.

It makes sense for the Wizards to want Bibby because, well, they suck. Bibby would greatly enhance their back-court talent. Also, if Jordan will indeed make his ill-advised (I know, I’ll eat those words. I’m sure.) return to the NBA, he’s going to need someone to get him that ball. And the last thing the Wizards need is yet another talented but inexperienced high draft pick.

The deal would give the Grizzlies a serviceable big body in Nesby (6-6, 245 lbs), whose six fouls could come in useful in the Hack-A-Shack Western Conference. It would also give them the number-one pick. This, as you might imagine, is always a very good thing. Aside from being able to have the pick of the litter (with the emphasis on young pups), this is exactly what a moving team needs: a high-profile start. All the cameras and speculation will be on little ol’ Mempho-town and its decisions. It would also galvanize the public and make for good PR. Do not underestimate how important it is to get this team off to a fantastic first season in terms of ticket sales. Without many bona-fide stars on the team, a number one pick would mean big things for ticket sales and media coverage.

Assuming the Grizz do the deal and get the number-one pick, go with Duke senior and consensus NCAA player of the year Shane Battier. He won’t be available at number-six because Atlanta has said it wants him with their number-three pick. Battier is a forward (6-8, 220 lbs) with the ball skills of a guard. He passes well and can defend on the perimeter as well as inside (88 blocks, 82 steals his senior year) and scores through his jump-shooting. Let’s focus on this. He’s a great stand-still jump-shooter in a league allowing zones next year. That means that while defenses are trying to guard Grizzlies standout forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim on the inside, they’ll have to worry about stopping 6-8 Battier from knocking down threes from the outside.

There has been some talk that Battier isn’t athletic enough. Whatever. The man scored a pre-draft high on the vertical agility test and is third in the dunking contests held by coaches and scouts. He’s not a banger and the Grizzlies do need more help on the inside and rebounding, but he runs the floor well and has excellent vision. That would complement Coach Sydney Lowe’s interest in running and gunning.

Past the floor, Battier is a graduate of one of America’s premier universities and probably its best southern university. He is articulate, confident, team-oriented, and interested in a possible political career after basketball. Remember when we talked about how much the Grizzlies need a poster-boy? Battier is the best thing going in this draft and in a very long while, period.

Maybe Battier’s lack of sheer physical domination or unworldly grace (see also: Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant) will mean that he won’t be a superstar. Battier will instead be one of the most consistent and best players in the league. He won’t get into trouble off the court, and he has the very real potential to be a real asset to the community.

Next Wednesday night, it’s magic time. The first major event for Memphis’ NBA team will be at the Peabody (if the NBA announces that Memphis has the team, as expected). The Grizzlies need to stop going with the flow and make some noise if they want to stop being an also-ran. They need to make some noise if they even want to be and also-ran. Go with the number-one pick, go with the right pick in Battier.

Otherwise, we’ll all be watching as some teenie-bopper gets millions of dollars for his Lil’ Bow-Wow CDs.

Categories
News News Feature

MY HAPPINESS

I’ve pondered the nature of success a lot lately. Ten years ago this month I graduated from college. Full of ambition. Full of hubris. Full of ideas on how I would change the landscape of American life . . . if not life on earth. Well, it is nothing short of astonishing what the first 10 years of life after college will do to one’s perspective on his or her role in our global community. Not to mention one’s perspective on how exactly success is attained.

Having spent my formative years in Vermont and my college days in Boston, I had experienced my personal quota of New England winters by the time I received my cherished bachelor’s degree. In searching for just where I would take my burgeoning skills – I was an English major, folks – I decided Memphis was the place to begin. My father grew up in the Bluff City. Many a family vacation wound toward “the capital of the Mid-South” for visits with my grandmother. Being near her was a major factor in my deciding to take this regional leap. I even convinced an old high-school chum who had never been south of the Mason-Dixon to climb aboard the good ship Murtaugh for the journey south. The fact that he had a car helped.

Two months before I donned my cap and gown, my grandmother suffered a fatal heart attack. She knew I had decided to move to Memphis and was looking forward to catching up on time we had lost during my years in New England. To say this dampened my exuberance for the move wouldn’t do justice to the affection I held for my last living grandparent. I miss her to this day, and her loss was the first of many, shall we say, twists on what I had drawn up as “the plan.”

In part to honor my grandmother’s memory, I kept Memphis in my crosshairs. My buddy and I drove down in June 1991 ready to conquer our first corner of the world. “The plan” held that I would cultivate my love for sports and become the next Red Smith, or at least the next Al Dunning. A well-connected friend arranged an interview for me with Lionel Linder, at the time the editor of The Commercial Appeal. Mr. Linder graciously shook my hand across his sizable desk, sat me down, and explained that there simply was not a lot of turnover in the paper’s sports department. Tilting his head, he pointed out that sportswriters generally like what they do, they aren’t promoted into different departments, and vacancies are hard to find for 22-year-olds armed with clips from their hometown newsweekly (circulation: 1,600).

My path to the press box had been interrupted, to say the least. When you aspire to be a sportswriter and the only daily in town says get some experience, well, you start knocking on doors. I was able to arrange an interview with this very magazine. Management (I won’t name names) kindly gave me a tour of what I now see as the nicest former coffee warehouse in downtown Memphis. I was then told that my best approach would be to live here a while, get the lay of the land, learn the difference between Union Avenue and Poplar. Once I knew where Beale Street was, the theory held, I might be more able to write about it.

I wound up as a gopher for a downtown real estate company. Thankfully, for only 10 months. And god bless the women I worked with in that little sales office. They taught me volumes on what it means to have to earn the money that would pay my utility bill, pay for groceries, pay for the many calls home to Vermont. They reminded me that work is just that; it’s not an exploration of one’s creative energy before an audience of countless admirers. I had bosses for the first time in my life. I’m lucky to say I also considered them my friends. Wherever they may be, I thank them.

This is where we come to the success part. Somehow, I managed to convince the woman I had grown to love to join me in Memphis. A born-and-bred Vermonter, this amazing person – her roots on a farm no less – took a profound leap and followed me to the big city eight months after I had arrived. Had she not, I’m not sure if there would be a story here. She is now the finest paralegal this town has to offer. She is also, now for almost seven charmed years, my wife. She reminds me every single day of what I get up for, what I work for, and why I come home in the evening. Considering my current occupation, I guess you could call her my muse.

As you might have gleaned, the South’s finest city magazine did finally hire me. As a veteran gopher, I made a rather seamless transition into my new job as assistant to the publisher. After three years, through some trickery (and a few mirrors), I convinced the same management that had patted me on the shoulder and sent me on my way to give me a shot as managing editor. Six years later, we haven’t missed an issue. So knock wood, if you will. As for Red Smith, his spirit need not worry. Though I can tell you more about three years of Memphis Redbird history than you’ll ever need to know.

Two years ago this month, my success story arrived in the form of a six-pound, three-ounce baby girl. Since my daughter was born, any and all preconceived notions on what constitutes a priority have been tossed out. Every “first” has been transcendent: smile, tooth, step, word, baseball game. You name an event. Sofia’s mother or I will tell you the date and time. You want success? How about the first time your child makes a special request for you, Daddy, to change her diaper? Joy . . . and I kid you not.

I imagine the time will come when a decade lived will seem short. The past 10 years for me have been, if brief, voluminous. My first million is still a lottery ticket – or a free-agent baseball contract – away. My wife and I share a car, and it’s no Mercedes. My house will never highlight a home tour. On the other hand, my job has taken me to China, Northern Ireland, France, and Peru. I’ve learned about ostrich farms, miniature horses, and what makes Rufus Thomas shake a leg. I’ve even interviewed the most famous fire-breathing bassist on the planet, Gene Simmons of KISS. (We all need heroes.) On a deeper level, I have come to take immense pleasure in my wife’s laugh and my daughter’s smile. A walk around the block as a trio is a ritual I would no more sacrifice than I would my left arm. Success? I’ll tell you more later. Right now, I’ve got to change another diaper.

[This story was first published in Memphis Magazine, where Murtaugh is the managing editor.]

Categories
News News Feature

HARGETT GETS BOOST FOR BUILDING AUTHORITY

State Rep. Tre Hargett (R-Bartlett), who achieved some prominence of late as co-chairman of a House committee appointed by Speaker Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington) to look into possible budget cuts, is now being boosted by a colleague as an arbiter of the proposed new NBA arena in Memphis.

The recommendation was by Rep. Paul Stanley (R-Germantown), in a letter to Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout, who will make an appointment of a House member to the county’s Public Building Authority.

Stanley recommended Hargett as one who “has distinguished himself as a hard-working, honest member who is able to evaluate many sides of a complex issue.”

Earlier, Sen. John Ford (D-Memphis), who has long-established links to Memphis downtown developer Jack Belz, had been named by Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton to the PBA. After that appointment, authorized by newly crafted legislation mandating General Assembly representation on the Authority, Rout made it clear he was taken by surprise. The two mayors then met and agreed that Rout would have the opportunity to name a PBA member from the House.

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News News Feature

FALLING INTO DISGRACELAND

I’ve never wanted to have a baby. Ever. Ten minutes after I came down the birth canal I made up my mind; no one was ever doing that to me.

I probably shouldn’t go into all the reasons I’m against me spawning, but I will. The first, and shallowest of my many reasons, is that my body is having enough trouble retaining any semblance of shape without another being gestating inside of it. There’s also a little matter of genetics. I’ve been convinced for quite some time that my genes are subpar and I don’t really relish the thought of passing them on. And then there’s the pain. Bone crushing, spine screaming, flesh flaring, agonizing, a million-times-worse-than-anything-you’ve-ever-experienced-before pain, from what I’ve heard, that is. (Oh, and by the way, I think it’s totally precious and beautiful when other people are preggers.)

But most of all, there is the little matter of cosmic retribution I’m trying to avoid. I don’t think that I was a particularly evil child, but I’m sure I had my moments. And at every single one of them, my parents would say, “Just wait, someday you’ll have a child just like you … and then you’ll see.”

To which I would say, “That’s what you think. I’m not having kids.”

Fast forward twenty-something years, I got a dog.

I’m not saying that my dog has made me change my mind and suddenly I want a baby. I’m saying she is my baby.

It happened completely unintentionally. I got her to act as a small, but ferocious, guard dog: yappy enough to deter criminals, and not too big for my stamp-sized residence.

But soon, and I think completely against my personality, I started talking about her all the time: about how cute she is, and how smart, and even divulging personal details about her bowel movements. No one needs to hear that, but there I was, the proud new mother babbling on incessantly.

(I’m actually surprised it’s taken me this long to write about her; my sister hung up the phone on me the other day after saying, “I’m bored. You talk about Honey too much.” (Of course, she could have just been angry about a similar incident that occurred a few weeks ago wherein I yelled, “I don’t care about your salad!” and hung up the phone. But she could have had a point.)

I won’t make any other parallels, but I’m surprised at what I’ve become. I’ve always thought myself only slightly more maternal than an alligator (or any one of those animals that regularly eats it young), but now I have 11 pounds of this furry, slobbering mess that I totally dote on.

One time, after she had stomach surgery, she peed on my toe, and I thought it was cute!

How far I’ve fallen. I went from a hard-hearted, jaded individual to someone who thinks piss can be precious.

My only comfort is that my parents are still wrong. Honey is nothing like me.

She’s worse.

( Mary Cashiola writes about life every Friday @ memphisflyer.com. You’re invited to come along.)