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With the entire NBA schedule set to be released later this week, Jazz Nation can now pencil in four dates they won’t want to miss.

Announced on Tuesday afternoon, Utah’s four group play games for the inaugural In-Season Tournament have been locked in. Placed in Group A of the Western Conference, the Jazz are set to face Memphis, Portland, Phoenix, and the Los Angeles Lakers throughout November.

Utah begins the tournament on Friday, Nov. 10, when they travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies. The Jazz return to Salt Lake City for home games against the Blazers and Suns on Nov. 14 and 17, respectively. They close out group play with a road showdown against the Lakers in Los Angeles on the 21.

2022-23 Record Against Group AMemphis: 2-2Portland: 1-3Phoenix: 1-2Los Angeles: 2-2

Groups were determined based on their overall record from the previous season, with teams from each conference being placed in “pots” — The teams with the top three records in the West were placed in pot one, teams 4-6 were in pot two, and so on and so forth. One team from each pot was selected for the five-team, three-group tournament.

Pot 1: Denver | Memphis | SacramentoPot 2: Phoenix | LA Clippers | Golden StatePot 3: Los Angeles Lakers | Minnesota | Oklahoma CityPot 4: New Orleans | Dallas | UTAHPot 5: Portland | Houston | Sacramento

If two or more teams have the same record following the completion of the group stage, the tie will be broken according to the following tiebreakers.

1.) Head-to-head record in the Group Stage2.) Point differential in the Group Stage3.) Total points scored in the Group Stage4.) Regular season record from the 2022-23 NBA regular season5.) Random drawing (in the unlikely scenario that two or more teams are still tied following the previous tiebreakers)

The In-Season Tournament is a new season highlight and piece of hardware for teams and players to strive for. There will be an All-Tournament team and MVP honors, allowing players to thrive in clutch situations and further build their legacies.

All 30 teams will be participating in the tournament, set to begin on Nov. 3 with the group stage and run until the championship game on Dec. 9. Every contest played during group play will count as a regular season game and go towards the overall record.

Group play will occur between Nov. 3 and 28, to be played on Tuesdays and Fridays — excluding Nov. 7 (Election Day). The six group winners and two wild card teams (one from each conference) will advance to the knockout rounds.

The two wild card teams will be determined by best record in Group Play that finished second in their respective group. If two or more teams are tied with identical records, the same tiebreaker (listed above) will take place to determine seeding.

Quarterfinal games are set to be played on Dec. 4 and 5 in a single-elimination format. The semifinals will be played on Dec. 7, with the championship following two days later, with games to be played at a neutral location.

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Depending which direction you're driving on what Memphians call "the Old Memphis Bridge," Momma’s is the last bar in Memphis … or the first.

This bar and restaurant at 855 Kentucky St. is a spot for Memphians and out-of-towners alike to stop in for an ice-cold beer and a burger, a plate lunch or even breakfast.

“We want to be a comfortable place for the weary traveler, the neighborhood flunky, the local student, the blue collar repairman, the brain surgeon and everyone in between,” said owner Aldo Dean, who also owns restaurants including Aldo’s Pizza Pies, Slider Inn and Bardog Tavern.

A new and improved Momma’s reopens at 5 p.m. Aug. 17 after a two-year renovation.

With a trucker-theme, Momma’s was intentionally designed to take care of all the various folks living and working in the neighborhood — from the factory workers down the street to the truck drivers coming through town to the residents living in the South Bluff neighborhood. Dean said it is meant to be a place for everyone to come and feel at home — and have a good meal and some fun.

With more than 300 yards of street parking, it is the only Downtown eatery conducive to park an 18-wheeler.

The 'roadside' fare at Momma's

Like any good roadside restaurant, Momma’s offers a little something for everyone.

Momma’s executive chef John Haley has created an eclectic menu that ranges from burgers to plate lunches.

Start with the Smoked Wings — which are a new addition to the menu. You can choose from a variety of sauces and rubs ranging from a spicy “Screaming Buffalo” to a milder Lemon-Pepper. Deviled eggs and cheese curds are also good shareable dishes to enjoy.

A burger at Momma’s is not your everyday burger. Each burger on the menu starts with a half-pound hand-pattied Certified Angus Beef patty.

“The Bubba” is the classic all-American burger topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and American cheese. If feeling extra hungry, order the “Bubba Goes to Poundtown” — which is a double Bubba with two half-pound patties.

The menu offers eight burgers total — ranging from ones topped with house-made pimento cheese or BBQ bourbon mayo to a black bean and rice veggie burger.

If a fried chicken sandwich is your go-to, make sure to try “The Firebird.” A crispy fried chicken breast is topped with bacon, pickles, fried onions, two cheeses (Swiss and cheddar) and their spicy “Memphis Mojo” sauce.

Plate-lunches change daily, but the Smoked Pork Chop is always on the menu. It’s a 12-ounce bone-in pork chop served with Italian spinach, mashed potatoes and a chunky house-made apple sauce garnish.

“We even have chicken soup on the menu,” Dean said. “Just like your momma makes.”

Momma’s happens to be among the earliest-opening breakfast spots in town. While most breakfast restaurants open at 7 a.m., Momma’s doors open at 6:30 a.m.

“We wanted to be open for the third-shift factory workers that get off around 6 a.m.,” said Eric Bourgeois, the marketing director for Dean’s restaurant group, Packed House Productions.

Buttery homestyle biscuits, steak and eggs, and buttermilk pancakes are just a handful of the breakfast menu items that can be ordered with a hot cup of “leaded” joe.

THE NEW DORY:Memphis restaurant transforms simple into exciting | Review

'The only trucker-themed bar in America'

While the restaurant and bar is more than double its original size, loyal guests will be glad to see the original “dive bar” charm of the indoor dining room and bar is still the same. Red leather booths, a juke box, a long bar and low ceilings lined with strings of tiny lights keep the space moody and cool.

“Momma’s is dedicated to the long-haulers. We researched it, and we are the only trucker-themed bar in America,” said Bourgeois, as he pointed to the collection of license plates from all 50 states that line the walls and vintage trucker movie posters.

He explained that a dive bar is all about layers, as he pointed to the walls that are covered with memorabilia. Even the menu encourages guests to bring items to add to the collection. “Bring us your trucker stuff (hats, belt buckles, shirts, etc.) and we’ll put ‘em up in Momma’s somewhere.”

The major renovations and expansion happened on the deck and in the kitchen

The expansive outdoor patio, which has been nicknamed the “double-wide,” is twice as large and also now has a stage for live music and is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible. A 24-foot garage door connecting the original covered patio to the addition will remain open on pretty days and close during inclement weather.

Dean thought of the customer experience when he designed the deck. “There is not a bad seat on the deck. There is a great view of the stage from each seat,” he said, as he explained that the seats farthest away from the stage are higher than those that are closer, creating an “amphitheater-like” experience.

The new deck also has shade sails and fans to keep customers cool on hot, sunny days. Outdoor heaters will be added in cooler weather.

The largest expansion was to the kitchen — which has been expanded and remodeled.

“The biggest problem was that we had no back door. Deliveries went in the front door and trash went out it. Now we have a back door for all that,” said Dean, adding that Momma’s may be a dive bar, but it will have clean restrooms and a clean kitchen.

MEMPHIS ON TV:A unique spin on ribs: Here's what Chef Tam cooked on national food TV show

Expect live music several nights a week and promotions like “Free Burger Mondays” where every seventh burger out of the kitchen is free. There even will be an official arm wrestling table sanctioned by the World Arm Wrestling Association, Dean said.

“Momma’s is a sweet name for an establishment like this,” he said. “It’s got an irreverent quality for a dive bar, don’t you think?”

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.

If you want to keep up with the tastiest news in the Bluff City — like the story above, sign up for our Eat Drink Memphis weekly newsletter for a hearty serving of stories on everything from restaurants to recipes. You can sign up here.

Momma’s

Where: 855 Kentucky St.

Hours: 6:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday (starting in September)

Online: mommasbar.com

Phone: (901) 207-5111

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - About 3 weeks ago when storms rolled through Memphis, limbs from a tree knocked out power to Pat Houston-Mcclusky Berclair’s home for 4 days.

She said MLGW did come out and trim limbs but left them behind in a ditch. “I called [MLGW] and told them that these limbs are going to fall,” said Houston-McClusky.

Pat said she tried warning MLGW and the City of Memphis about the tree, asking them to cut it down before it could fall on nearby power lines.

”She (MLGW rep) said we are going to have to wait until it falls. Well, I said I just think it would be cheaper and easier for everybody if you cut it now because it’s obviously going to fall. She said that’s not how we do it,” said Houston-McClusky.

On Saturday, the tree she tried to warn MLGW about fell and knocked her power out again.

MLGW restored the power but told her it was her responsibility to get a tree removal company to get rid of the tree.

‘She said she called a professional tree removal company only to be told they couldn’t remove the tree because it was growing in the ditch.MLGW’s tree trimming, and removal policy states the utility will remove the tree if it is within 10 to 15 feet of the pole and endangers the distribution line

The City of Memphis’ website says if a tree falls on your house the city will not remove it.

The city is only responsible for removing trees in the street.

Pat said she doesn’t care who cleans up this mess, the cost just doesn’t need to come out of her pocket.

”I just want the ditch cleared,” said Houston-McClusky.

Here is the MLGW tree trimming and removal policy: A homeowner left with a mess after a tree fell in her yard knocking out power to her home.

But the Berclair woman said she warned Memphis, Light, Gas and Water, and the City of Memphis about the potential threat and nothing was done.

The Berclair homeowner said she has tried for months to get MLGW or the City of Memphis to do preventative tree trimming services.

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Memphis has sold about 11,000 football season tickets with about two weeks left before the start of the season, deputy athletic director Jeff Crane said Wednesday.

"We are on pace to reach the numbers we had last year," Crane said. "We're a little over 11,000 season tickets, so we'd like to be in that 12,500-13,000 range. We've seen typically over the last couple weeks before the season is when we sell a lot more then we do in other parts of the summer. People just start thinking college football, and so they start buying."

That number represents a drop from just a few years ago, when the Tigers sold more than 20,000 season tickets. The department had sold close to that amount for a few years, including when it sold more than 22,500 in 2017. Sales rose from 9,000 in 2014 as the team improved, but numbers have gone down since the 2019 season, when the Tigers won the AAC championship and went to the Cotton Bowl Classic. Updated year-by-year numbers were not immediately available.

Crane said Wednesday the department has seen an increase in single-game ticket sales and already had sold a few thousand for the opener on Sept. 2 against Bethune-Cookman at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The Tigers will also play home games against Navy, Boise State, Tulane, South Florida and SMU in 2023.

"Some of it is just making sure football stays top of mind for people," Crane said. "All summer long we've been pushing out messages on social media, emails and billboards, all those things, but it's not until you get within a couple weeks of the season that people really start to perk up."

More:Memphis announces record football season-ticket sales

Memphis is coming off a 7-6 season under Ryan Silverfield, who's entering his fourth season as coach. The Tigers were among the top Group of Five teams in the nation when season ticket sales were peaking, including three straight trips to the AAC championship game from 2017-19.

The Tigers went 30-11 during that stretch and won the AAC in 2019 to qualify for the Cotton Bowl Classic as the nation's top G5 team. Memphis is 21-15 since that season, all under Silverfield.

Attendance has also not rebounded to the levels from before COVID-19. Last season's average attendance was 26,196, a decline of just under 16.3% from the previous season's average of 31,295.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Seventy-five years is a long time for any business to be in operation, but when it comes to the restaurant industry, 75 years is a true testament to resiliency.

And for the brothers behind Pete and Sam’s Famous Italian Restaurant, it’s also an enduring family legacy which is why the Italian eatery is the subject of this week’s 5 Star Story.

“We’ve been making barbecue pizza for close to 70 years now,” Sam Bomarito said.

And that’s almost how long the co-owners’ family have been filling Memphians’ tummies with traditional Italian cuisine.

Sam and Michael Bomarito’s father Sam opened Pete and Sam’s after a stint in the Army Air Corp.

“(19)48, My father, unemployed at the time, he was trying to find something to do. He teamed up with his cousin, my cousin Pete Romeo (and) opened up a restaurant,” Michael Bomarito explained.

But the Bomarito brothers said their cousin got out of the business after only six months.

“Pete Romeo came from Chicago. He’s like, ‘Sam, this town is dead. I can’t handle it, going back to Chicago.’ Got his $2-3,000 investment back. Pete went back,” is how Michael told the story.

However, the Pete and Sam’s sign remained.

“Sam kept it going. (He) didn’t have the money to change the sign so it stayed Pete and Sam’s,” the brothers recalled.

The first restaurant was near the airport and grew from there, moving into the current location on Park Avenue in 1960. According to Sam, it’s a true family business.

“We grew up kind of restaurant rats. We ran around quite a bit in the restaurant. Whether it was out front in the dishwasher area or getting in the way in the kitchen or taking money out front in the old days with the cash register,” he chuckled, while Michael recalled one of his own memories: “You got a front counter up there. I used to sleep in that thing. He would be here 2-3 in the morning. I’d be eight or nine years old.”

The brothers also learned not only how to run a restaurant, but also how to make it successful.

“Goes back to quality and consistency,” Sam said. “That was one of my dad’s always mottos was ‘consistency is a habit.’ He developed a relationship with his customers. They would have families, their kids would come in, they would have families, and they’d bring their kids in...so it just built from that.”

Some of those relationships included famous diners, like Elvis, who the brothers said was a regular.

“My uncle would go to Graceland and play racquetball with Elvis,” said Michael.

The food served at Pete and Sam’s includes Italian recipes passed down from generation to generation like spaghetti, lasagna, Italian spinach and more.

“We make our own ravioli in-house. We have a machine that we bought about close to 40 years ago,” Sam explained.

The menu also includes a variety of traditional American favorites, like seafood, steaks and even fried chicken, which the brothers feel assured Mid-South wrestling legend Jerry Lawler loves and will vouch for.

The brothers have added newer, more modern items to the menu, but they say some things will never change.

“Our menu from today is pretty much the same menu from the 50s. So it’s not broke, we’re not gonna fix it,” Michael promised.

One of Pete and Sam’s more famous menu items is the barbecue pizza.

“We smoke all of our barbecue in-house for about 12 hours. We put it on at night before we leave, and let it cook until 10 or 12 o’clock the next day,” Sam proudly explained.

And for good reason--that Memphis favorite has also been featured on the Food Network’s “Food Paradise” and “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.”

And after being graced with a slice of my own I can attest it’s a delightful blend of smokiness, cheese and tender pork! The brothers Bomarito also take pride in making sure everything is freshly made in their kitchen, from rolling their own meatballs to making their own sauces.

“Very prideful of it,” Michael said. “My father started this a long time ago. He loved it. I worked with him. I had the privilege of working with him. I saw the love that he put in this place and that’s what we’re trying to continue on.”

“We all love the restaurant business,” Sam said. “My brother’s in it and we have a lot of family still working here and we enjoy it. We have a long-standing relationship with a lot of families and multi-generations. We have several families that have 4 generations that have been dining with us.”

Pete & Sam’s is a true Memphis family tradition that makes us proud to see and eat! Incidentally, the Bomarito brothers say their father once owned seven Pete & Sam’s locations, including one in Nashville, during the early years of the family business.

The last-standing Park Avenue location is open seven days a week and has a party room that can accommodate up to 100 people for special occasions.

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