Tag: Brass Door

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Coronavirus: Irish Pubs Respond for St. Patrick’s Day

CREDIT: Celtic Crossing/Facebook

Celtic Crossing/Facebook

Memphis’ Irish pubs have responded in many different ways to the coronavirus and the social distancing advice from government officials that would dampen their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Brass Door said it was wide open:

Coronavirus: Irish Pubs Respond for St. Patrick’s Day (3)

Murphy’s cancelled its event. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Murphy’s said, “St. Patrick’s Day celebration event at Murphy’s has been cancelled. Thank you for understanding.”

Celtic Crossing took a middle road, offering up a scaled-back version of its usual blowout event.

Coronavirus: Irish Pubs Respond for St. Patrick’s Day (2)

Coronavirus: Irish Pubs Respond for St. Patrick’s Day

The annual Memphis Irish Society St. Patrick’s Day parade was cancelled after Memphis Mayor Strickland revoked all public events permits on Sunday.

Of course, last week the Beale Street Merchants Association postponed its annual parade, scheduled for for this past Saturday, March 14th.

Coronavirus: Irish Pubs Respond for St. Patrick’s Day (4)

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Bluff City Liars Hosts Improv Underground VI this Weekend

CREDIT: Moriah Drinkard Loya

Bluff City Liars, an improv comedy troupe in Memphis, returns to the Brass Door this Friday to improvise an entertaining mix of short-form and long-form scenes at its sixth Improv Underground (iU).

The group will start the evening off with a few games of short-form scenes similar to what can be seen on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

“We always open the show with a game called Change,” says Brandon McAninch, director of Bluff City Liars and producer of Improv Underground. In this game, two comedians will play out a scenario, and at any point McAninch can call for one of the players to change the last thing they did or said.

Moriah Drinkard Loya

“Yes, and …”

“That’s always fun because I think that kind of encapsulates the idea of improv,” he says. “The players say something, and then the rug is pulled out from under them, and they have to improvise something new off the cuff.”

After that and other short-form games like Freeze Tag and line games, the troupe will move on to their specialty: long-form.

“A common joke is that long-form is for improvisers,” McAninch says. “It’s kind of like improvising a pilot episode of a TV show.”

One of the group’s favorite scenes involves asking an audience member to tell them something amusing about the town they grew up in, whether that’s an interesting person or town lore. “Then, we’ll try to show the audience what we think a typical day in that small town looks like,” says McAninch. “Of course, it’s always far from typical.”

And, in true holiday spirit, the troupe is changing it up for this show with a new format and a new holiday twist.

Improv Underground VI, The Brass Door, Friday, December 6th, 8-10 p.m., $5.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Soccer and Beer and Memphis: A Perfect Combination

(Credit: Memphis 901 FC)

The last professional soccer game I attended was the Memphis Rogues. I played the game a little in lower school, but can’t be accused of taking it seriously. If I’m going to be honest, I’m one of the few University of Alabama alumni who doesn’t take that sports program seriously either. I have, however, been to enough baseball and football games to know that what, and more importantly, how you drink at these things is crucial. And that may be the real sport.

Memphis has a professional USL soccer team now, the 901 FC, and I felt compelled to see its inaugural match-up with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Admittedly, soccer is a lot tighter on the clock than football, and baseball doesn’t even have one. Soccer games all run 90 minutes, more or less, so you haven’t got hours to burn. The good people over at the Bluff City Mafia — the 901 FC’s supporter club — got around that hurdle by kicking off the pregame festivities at 2 p.m. down at the Brass Door. This was followed by a short, boozy march — complete with flags and chanting — to AutoZone Park for the 6 match. Good people.

Memphis 901 FC

A full house watches Memphis 901 FC at AutoZone Park.

So, given the time involved, Game-Day Drinking is like its cherished cousin, Day Drinking: It’s important to set the right pace. You don’t have to dial it back to “lunch with Grandmother,” but you certainly need to keep it a click or two below peak “Warren Zevon.”

For her part, the enchanting Mrs. M thought that arriving at the Brass Door at 4 p.m. was the perfect touch of fashionable lateness. By that time, the place was filled with an impressive amount of whooping and hollering. Impressive, because there was absolutely no reasonable cognitive association these happy people could possibly have for a team that had never played before. Except, of course, that it was Memphis’ soccer team. And there they were, leading bar-wide cheers with perfect strangers. It makes a fella proud.

Beer-wise, there was a lot of Guinness being slung about, but there always is in Irish bars. And for a game-day brew, it’s not a bad choice. The ABV is a relatively low 4.2 percent, and while it tastes heavy, the truth is that at 125 calories, it’s only 15 more than Bud Light.

Outside, the steam was rising from a recent rain, and inside, it was crowded — and I’m fat. So I went with a Wiseacre Ananda — light and crisp — but you might want to avoid it for a long haul. Mrs. M had a Bud Light; a lady is entitled to her mysteries.

The lovely thing about soccer is that it is one of the few times Memphis seems cosmopolitan, as you move through a crowd hearing Irish-English, Australian, along with some lively Spanish in Latin American accents. Mrs. M’s grandfather was English, so I was curious — for purely sociological reasons — to see if all these chants and beer-swilling would trigger some first-rate English football hooliganism in her. She was too busy making friends with some people from Philadelphia, but the night was still young.

We marched and chanted and finally turned the corner into AutoZone Park. For some reason, being in a stadium always makes me slink back to domestic brews, although you can get a limited selection of local craft beers at the game.

The readers who had to google to find out just who the hell the Memphis Rogues were might not have the association of cheap domestics and sports, but they work well. You want it to be tasty and drinkable, but you also don’t want to think about it too much either. I had a big, tall Budweiser. True, soccer really isn’t America’s game, but Bud is owned by the Belgians now, so it’s a topsy-turvy world these days.

Incidentally, Mrs. M never went even remotely hooligan on me or anyone else. That woman is a delight.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Get on the soccer bandwagon at the Brass Door.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

If you’re one of the millions of people who forgot soccer existed the moment your buzz wore off after the U.S. Women’s National Team laid waste to everyone in the 2015 Women’s World Cup, then chances are you’ve rediscovered it these past couple weeks as the 2018 World Cup unfolds. If you’re just a casual fan, then you’re definitely back on the soccer bandwagon because baseball bores you and your life is so pathetic that you need a reason to drink beer at 6 a.m. Memphis is fortunate enough to have two great Irish pubs in Celtic Crossing and The Brass Door, the latter of which I visited last week to get back on the soccer bandwagon myself.

The Brass Door is a great place to kick it and watch soccer without actually having to kick anything, which is fantastic for someone like me who would prefer to watch sports without having to participate in them. That being said, I’m the only one who’s often actually sitting down at the bar, as everyone else is standing up and pounding fists and hugging people they don’t know whenever that one guy with the hair makes a goal, or as announcers spell it, a goooooooooooal. The Brass Door is comprised of two parts: On one side, a stately old bar is the centerpiece of a beautiful room with original checkered floors and tall windows; the other side has more of a sports pub feel, with the main attraction being the multiple TVs. To no one’s surprise, my friends and I can most often be found on the grittier side where spilling beer on others isn’t as frowned upon.

Seamus Loftus opened The Brass Door just a few years ago, and it has already undergone a bitchin’ menu change, courtesy of Patrick and Deni Reilly of Majestic Grille. While I celebrate all of the food there, I’m particularly into the brunch menu because it features a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with beer cheese dip and a sunny-side up egg. If you’re watching soccer and drinking beer, there is exactly a zero percent chance you’re turning down a grilled cheese with cheese dip and an egg on top of it unless you’re vegan or a soulless weirdo.

The whole food menu is as colorful as Seamus’ language, which is why I can’t repeat most of the conversations I’ve had with him. I can tell you that he is the type of host to offer your friend who is inexplicably wearing Elton John sunglasses indoors a fine Scotch, served neat, that aforementioned friend drinks as a shot. He is the type of pub owner who is a part of the local soccer community, sponsoring both a recreation league team and a soccer-themed podcast, Round Table of Hooligans, that is recorded at the bar. He’s the guy whose soccer analysis you listened to on the Chris Vernon Show during the last World Cup, and he’s going to be your new favorite person to talk shop with if you find yourself at his bar.

The World Cup is a sports phenomenon in that it brings everyone together to actively hate on Portugal’s national team, which is why you will meet no enemies at The Brass Door, regardless of which side of the establishment you park yourself. The fancier side is bright and inviting; it purrs, “Come, sit at my large wooden bar and order a Smithwick’s,” which is fantastic if you’re popping in for lunch with a friend for a midday beverage. The pub side is darker and more forgiving of those who slept in last night’s makeup; it screams, “Hello, yes, hi! Order Jameson and yell about something that happened back in 2009!” Either way, the bartender who most often puts up with my friends and me, Joey, will be there to accommodate you without judgment.

Soccer is rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S. and The Brass Door has contributed to the local rise in interest, often hosting both the Memphis Gooners and American Outlaws Memphis. The World Cup comes to a close this weekend, so I’d suggest joining me in visiting so you can witness the fandom yourself. Next year, for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, plan on patronizing an Irish pub. I promise you that no one will be angry when you spray a whole beer on the floor from excitement, Seamus least of all. 152 Madison. 572-1813, thebrassdoor.com

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Brass Door expands.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

It’s 9 a.m., and the Guinness stout is pouring. The Brass Door’s newly opened room rings with shouts, laughter, and loud conversations in Irish accents, lilting and growled.

“It’s 3-o’clock in Dublin,” an early celebrant announces, turning up a freshly drawn pint of mother’s milk while someone else turns up the volume on a big screen TV. The bar’s co-founder Seamus Loftus, born in the town of Killala in County Mayo, describes the casual new room as being like a country pub. “Like where I’m from,” he says, contrasting it with his slicker “city pub” next door.

Normally the bar would be closed and quiet at this hour, and all these rowdy fellows would be at home behaving themselves. But it’s the day of the All-Irish soccer final, and Loftus has pitched a special little get-together for old country friends and football fans. Very soon — possibly within the next week — the all-purpose pub will open early for everybody, with weekday breakfasts starting at 7 a.m. and brunch on weekends.

Justin Fox Burks

“We’re actively looking for a chef to lead our kitchen,” Loftus says. “We’re going to start doing evening meals as well.” This is all just the beginning of an ambitious expansion capped by the transformation of the abandoned Burger King across Madison into a green space with a stage rigged to accommodate five-piece bands, and a 40-foot projection screen.

“For me and [partner] Scott Crosby, this entire thing started out as a romantic vision,” Loftus says. “Then we labored through the reality of owning a pub and restaurant in downtown Memphis.” Soon after the Brass Door opened, a building on Madison collapsed, resulting in a prolonged street closure and hard times. But with traffic flowing again and a new pair of boutique hotels opening in the neighborhood, things are looking brighter than ever.

“We’re doubling down,” says Loftus, who now aims to throw the biggest St. Patrick’s Day party Memphis has ever seen. “And we can,” he says, “Because we’ll have a park across the street.”

To prepare for the big day, Loftus is organizing a series of events he’s calling “St. Practice Day,” held on the 17th of every month between now and March. He sees the smaller parties as an opportunity to try out new bands and new food and drink specials. “It’s a chance to build excitement and a chance to get it right,” he says, adding that the next three St. Patrick’s Days fall on weekend nights, which means they’ll be exponentially larger than normal anyway. “And we’ve only got five practice runs before the big game.”

Since opening doors in 2011, the Brass Door has been a home away from home for soccer fans. It’s also been a music venue, a downstairs comedy club, and a popular lunch spot. “We wanted this room to do everything,” Loftus says, explaining at least part of the rationale behind expansion.

“The best Irish pubs were designed to have places you can talk treason,” he says. “There are terrible versions of Irish pubs in America. We call them plastic Paddy pubs where everything’s a leprechaun. Irish pubs are designed to be integral to their community. I want to bring drama in here. To have a place where people can talk passionately.”