This time of year when the weather is most often cold and yucky, the Banns try to find fun things to do indoors. This weekend we spent our Saturday mid-morning browsing the aisles of Costco in Cordova. I am amazed at all the giant screen TVs there are to choose from, and even more amazed that a 50 inch screen is considered medium size today! As the winter wind whipped around us at the entrance, I couldn't help thinking that if I had the extra bucks required to buy one of those bad boys, it would probably be better spent on a flight that ended up somewhere sunny and warm, complete with a beach and some tropical drinks, but hey, that's just me :-) Little Kate napped in her stroller while Savannah marveled at all the things she saw as we wound our way through the enormous cornucopia of consumer temptations, taking advantage of all the tasty food samples along the way. We took home a jumbo jar of garlic stuffed olives, which are sinfully delicious, and a snack the whole family loves! Speaking of indoor family fun, you can't possibly top what's coming to Oak Court Mall this Saturday. It's the 27th annual Chocolate Fantasy to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of west Tennessee. Chocolate is everywhere in this deliciously sweet fundraiser .Cookies, brownies, ice cream, strawberries, coffee, and more are ready to taste, surrounded by music, entertainment, games, and a live auction. It's from 11a5p, tickets are $18, and I'll have your chance to win 'em all this week! Call the National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee at 683-6185 for tickets. Don't forget, Ce Ce's got Grizzlies ticket all this week too as you listen at work, so when it comes to indoor family fun, we've got you covered! :-) Bill
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Well, it's officially what I like to call the dead of winter, and I'm finding myself daydreaming of long summer afternoons standing over my backyard grill listening to the singing of the cicadas, or maybe sitting on the front porch in Aruba, feeding lizards with scraps of cheese, while looking out at the wind surfers as the warm trade winds blow through the palms. But no, I'm in Memphis, and it's a long wait for summer. Until then, we'll just have to make the best of it. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I was wondering, am I the only one who holds on the their Christmas tree this long, cause we just put ours on the curb over the weekend. We also checked out a really great spot for our Saturday lunch expedition, Stone Soup at the corner of Young Avenue and Felix. We shared the Moussaka with a very unique take of Guacamole on the side. It was yummy! For lunch Sunday, the Banns went to Jason's Deli on Highland and had a muffaletta. Folks, I'm from New Orleans and I can tell you with some degree of authority that it the only muffaletta in the city that meets my standard for authenticity. Check it out for yourself soon.There are some really neat things to look forward to, such as The Chocolate Fantasy January 28th at Oak Court Mall, and of course Soup Sunday, February 19th at FedEx Forum. Listen to win tickets to both these great events! I want to thank everyone who came out to Booksellers at Laurelwood Friday morning to get tickets to the "Million Dollar Quartet" at The Orpheum. That's going to be a GREAT show.
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Hope you had a safe and fun New Year's Eve! Amanda and I had dinner at my favorite mid-south restaurant, Fairbanks Steakhouse at Hollywood Casino. Friends I'm not exaggerating when I say that Fairbanks is simply divine. I started with the cornmeal fried oysters with remoulade which were just indescribable. Amanda had the pan seared crabcake with corn succotash and lemon beurre blanc with fried green tomatoes which she thought was heavenly. My entree was the pan seared sea bass. It was like my old friend Werner Lechner said, "fluffy like a cloud" and absolutely mouth watering with a flavor that burst gently upon the tongue like a gossamer blanket of buttery ecstacy. My better half had the chicken marsala resting on a bed of sun dried tomato grits. It was out of this world! That's the thing about Fairbanks. I have been eating there since 2002, and have been knocked out by every meal I've ever had there. It was good to see my old friend Charlie Brown too. After this incredible meal, we headed back to Memphis to ring in the New Year at The Peabody Hotel. My thanks to Kelly Earnest at the Peabody for her hospitality. Click the link to check out photos of the party. http://s1096photobucket.com/albums/g323/BillsBlog/NYE/
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Hope you and your family had a great Christmas this year. We have one more big event before old man winter settles in for the long haul, and that's New Years Eve and the ringing in of 2012. Amanda and I are having dinner Saturday night at one of my favorite mid-south restaurants, Fairbanks Steakhouse inside Hollywood Casino, then it's back to downtown Memphis for the New Years Eve festivities at The Peabody. SinceI have a long and storied relationship with The South's Grand Hotel, I thought it would be best place to usher in the New Year. Free Sol and The Bo-Keys are playing and your 40 bucks (only 30 in advance) includes champagne at midnite. If you'd like to join us, here is the link for tickets http://www.peabodymemphis.com/hotel-calendar-of-events/ Whatever your plans are, have a safe and fun evening and DON'T drink and drive!
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Well, we were blessed with another great (for December) weekend. Saturday morning we all piled into the Bann-mobile and headed to the Zoo, where we took in the 11am Sea Lion show. It was great! Then it was off to the Young Avenue Deli for a refreshing pint, and then pizza at Skunx Chef on Young Avenue. Yum! We watched one of my favorite Christmas movies Saturday night, "The Shop Around The Corner", with young Jimmy Stewart. A classic! Sunday brunch found us back in the old neighborhood for a bite to eat at Cortona at the corner of Cooper and Young. I had Eggs Cortona, which is 2 poached eggs on rosemary ciabatta bread with asparagus, hollandaise sauce and fried prosciuto. I highly recommend it! Have you gotten all your shopping done yet? If not, we're down to the home stretch and the countdown to 2012. I got to meet Benji and Beth Smith, who run the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bartlett. They reminded me that Fred Astaire gift certificates make fantastic and unique stocking stuffers, so you last minute Santas give em a call! (901) 219-0816 for Beth or Benji at Bartlett, or you can call Tom at Carrefour in Germantown, (901) 753-2158. They showed me a couple of moves while I was there too. Since Amanda and I will be ringing in the New Year at one of my favorite downtown historic Memphis sites, The Peabody Hotel, Maybe I'll get to try them out on the dance floor! Have a wonderful week and make plans to join us for our Tennessee Christmas again this year, 31 hours of non-stop commercial free Christmas music starting at noon Christmas eve. Hope all your Christmas dreams come true this year. :-) Bill
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Hope you all had a great weekend. The Saturday tradition in our family is to go out for brunch and take the kids somewhere interesting. Fortunately we live in a city that has lots of inexpensive interesting things to do and see. Think about it. We have the most amazing Zoo in America, and a membership pays for itself after just 3 visits, so the whole rest of the year is free! Ride the elevator to the top of the Madison Hotel for the most breathtaking view of the river.(free) Then walk down the street to catch the Riverside Loop trolley on Main (50 cents) There's the Crystal Shrine Grotto at Memorial Park (also free). And of course let's not forget driving around after dark and looking at Christmas lights. We decided to have our Saturday brunch at Cockadoo's across the street from The Peabody Hotel on Second. Friends, Cockadoo's is home to the biggest and most awesome home-made Cat Head biscuits on the planet. Not to mention a KILLER omelet! Try this place out and tell me how you like it. Sunday we crawled up into the attic and got down our Christmas stuff. Then we went out and got a big fresh tree and decked it out with lights and ornaments. I love live trees because they remind me of my childhood, and they make the house smell all Christmasy too! I look forward to another week of playing Continuous Christmas Music for you. My favorite is "Domenic The Italian Christmas Donkey". Thanks for listening and Merry Christmas! Bill
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Just wanted to say one more time, a big THANK YOU to everyone who came together to make this year's Mike and Mandy Toy Truck Drive for the kids at Porter Leath such an incredible success! The money raised because of your generosity totalled $100,800! A fitting swansong to 2011. Hope you had a great weekend! Saturday was just incredible wasn't it? It felt more like April than December, so we decided to take advantage of what I'm sure will be the last weather like that until spring. We all piled up in the Bannmobile and headed to Midtown for brunch at Memphis Pizza Cafe', then a long pleasant visit of The Zoo. Back home that afternoon, I fired up the grill and threw on a couple of big fat juicy New York strip steaks. Even though Sunday was back to winter as usual, it was a day to remember. One of my favorite Christmas songs we play is called "What are you doing New Year's Eve?" So what are YOU doing to ring in 2012? Amanda and I have our plans made and I'll tell you more about that soon. Until then, take care and Merry Christmas! :-) Bill
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
I just wanted to take a minute to remind you that the Mike and Mandy Toy Truck drive for the kids at Porter Leath is up and running at Bud Davis Cadillac, 5432 Poplar. Mike and Mandy will be broadcasting live each morning this week to fill up the truck with toys. Bring your new unwrapped toys, luggage, cash or checks and let's make Christmas happen for children who really need a smile this year. I'll be out there from 11-12:30 too, so come on out. We'd love to meet you! Oh yeah, Santa will be there as well!
Greetings my fellow Memphians!
Christmas music is on the air and the Holiday season is in full swing. It's a season of giving, and that's where the subject of today's blog shines like a star of hope in the night. The Better Life Foundation, A Charity set up and maintained by one of my favorite bands, 3 Doors Down to give children a better life, held their 8th annual fundraiser/concert at Bluesville inside Horseshoe Casino Saturday night. Amanda and I were there for the festivities, and got a first hand look at the outstanding work this awesome organization does. Here are a few pictures.
The charming young lady above is Luisa Palazola, a student at University of Memphis and an excellent example of what the money raised by The Better Life Foundation does. Luisa was diagnosed at an early age with Cystic Fibrosis, and through the outstanding care of The Better Life Foundation's beneficiary, Lebonheur Children's Medical Center, is on her way to a full and rewarding life.
The Better Life Foundation's work is done by an army of dedicated volunteers, like the men pictured here with me. Lt. Col. David Barton (L), of the Mississippi National Guard represents the efforts of The National Guard's "Citizen Soldiers" . The Better Life Foundation is run by President of the Board of Directors Mark Smith (center).
The venue of The Better Life Foundation's 8th annual fundraiser was Bluesville inside Horeshoe Casino. There to make sure everything was running smoothly was Regional President of Caesars Entertainment, R. Scott Barber.
These are the guys who make it all possible. (Well, except for the one in the middle) Lead singer of 3 Doors Down Brad Arnold and bass player Todd Harell. These guys are real road warriors for a better life. I hope you take some time to learn more about The Better Life Foundation, and help out by attending next year's benefit concert.
