Oxford Omnivores Digest

Oxford Omnivores Digest

P.9

BIG HEARTS AND GREEN THUMBS

What's Inside 3 From the Kitchen: 4 Eric “Salad Man” Tait Save the Sauce 5 Oxford restaurants offer variety of menu 7 items for Lenton season Higher alcohol content in beer?

Yes, please.

9

BIG HEARTS AND GREEN THUMBS

13 Big Dog Bouré 14 From the Kitchen: 15 Alan Keller

Buffalo Wild Wings breaks ground

1 OOD | Jour 379

OOD

Volume 1 Issue 1 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF COPY CHIEF

Emily Roland Alyssa Randolph

DESIGN EDITOR

Emily Roland

LEAD REPORTER

Will Bartz

ADDITIONAL REPORTERS

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Keaton Peek Alyssa Randolph Chris Ruple James Woodley Alyssa Randolph

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Will Bartz Keaton Peek Alyssa Randolph Chris Ruple James Woodley

COVER ART

Alyssa Randolph

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Alyssa Randolph

ONLINE/WEBSITE EDITOR

Emily Roland

Jour 379 | OOD 2

Higher alcohol content in beer?

Yes, please.

Senate Bill 2878, also known as the Gourmet Beer Bill, passed the House with no debate.

By Keaton Peek

S

tarting July 1, Mississippians will be able to buy stronger beer. Governor Phil Bryant signed the law that will allow the professional brewing and sale of beer with alcohol content up to 8 percent, compared to the current 5 percent limit.

Raise Your Pints, a group that has supported the law for over three years, advocates the bill for more than just the love of beer, but also the need for tax rev-

3 OOD | Jour 379

enue in the state. “Literally thousands of Mississippians are crossing into Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana to buy beer and bring it home,� Butch Bailey, president of Raise Your Pints, said.

Proponents of the bill said the lower alochol limit was causing Mississippi to lose tax revenue.

Lazy Magnolia, a Mississippi brewery, has had to deny contracts to make

beer for certain companies because of the current low alcohol content law..

The new law has the potential to create business opportunities for breweries and will allow Mississippi citizens to taste new types of beer. Senate Bill 2878, also known as the Gourmet Beer Bill, passed the House with no debate.

This summer will be a great time for beer lovers and brewery owners to expand their tastes.

From the Kitchen: Eric “Salad Man” Tait

By James Woodley What restaurants have you worked at in Oxford?

I’ve worked at Square Pizza, Proud Larry’s, City Grocery, Lenny’s Sub Shop and was the head chef at Round Table. I’ve worked on and off at Bouré for 3 years.

I think that ties them all up.

Would you recommend cooking as a profession?

Yes, but only literally if you can handle the heat and stay in the kitchen. It’s fucking knarly man. It’s crazy. It’s not for the faint of heart.

When did you start cooking?

My first job was as a dishwasher in Pickwick. Tennessee and my buddy was the head cook there. I’d be washing dishes one day and I would make some mozzarella sticks or something. I held a restaurant job until I got out of high school, but my first professional kitchen was at Bouré. I’ve worked my way around the Oxford circuit and I’m back here.

What is one of your favorite meals to cook?

Anything with tomatoes. I love man. I can eat it by itself, but my favorite meal is maybe a creamy parmesan orzo. I love to cook pork steaks, maybe some brocilini sautéed up, and maybe some tomato medley with basil chiffonade sauce for the pork steak.

What is the best thing about being a chef?

If you’re passionate about what you do, it’s the free range of creativity depending on where you work. If it’s really your thing, getting caught up in the busyness of a Saturday night or double decker weekend. I enjoy getting in that zone and pumping food out.

You know, the thrill of the fight. The worst thing might almost be that same night. The beginning and the cleanup are tough.

Those nights when it’s Monday and you’re twiddling your thumbs with nothing to do are pretty bad too.

Jour

SAVETHESAUCE Story By Will Bartz | Photos by Alyssa Randolph

A

fter 14 years of service, The Yocona River Inn burned to the ground in March 2009. The fire left patrons and the owners wondering if they would ever open their doors again. The history and legend of a humble BYOB steakhouse was not in the steak, but the sauce.

The Yocona River Inn wasn’t actually an inn. In fact, it was originally a country store and service station before it became a hidden gem in North Mississippi. The restaurant was nestled by the banks of the Yocona River near the small town of Tula, Miss. It would seem hard to pull from the typical, yet phenomenal options located on the

5 OOD | Jour 379

Oxford’s square, but The Yocona River Inn drew in diners like a magnet.

The interior of the restaurant was cozy and sat no more than 50 diners. Bring your own bottle is a concept that added to the charm of the restaurant. Filet mignon slathered in a mysterious Burgundy sauce nestled next to a bottle of Cabernet in a brown paper bag is certainly not your typical steakhouse experience.

The mysterious Burgundy concoction was a secret red wine reduction sauce that became known as Yocona Sauce.

The sweet yet earthy sauce is terribly complex, but it retained a certain comfort food quality.

Rumor has it, the complexity of the sauce led diners to bribe employees for the secret recipe.

However, the recipe was never leaked.

Some may say that keeping a secret in a small Mississippi town is impossible, and that certainly applies in this case. Inevitably, the secret recipe was leaked. Former employees and locals have different theories on how the recipe first slipped into the hands of the public.

The most popular is that a cook drank too much, got chatty, and the recipe trickled into public’s knowledge.

Chef Paige Osborne is credited for creating Yocona Sauce.

Many, if not all of the sources

Original Recipe: Yocna Sauce Yield 12 Servings

Ingredients: 6 cups Burgundy red wine 4 cups Worcestershire sauce 3 cups balsamic vinegar 1 cups molasses 3 bay leaves pinch of salt and pepper 1 stick unsalted butter (amount can be manipulated)

“

Do not over-heat or over-cool the sauce too long after the butter has been added. This would cause the sauce to ‘break.’

Tip From The Chef Paige Osborne

Directions:

that leaked the recipe, choose to remain anonymous. My acquisition of the recipe was no different, but I will say Maker’s Mark was involved.

If you have yet to see the recipe, you can now bring a piece of Yocona River Inn home.

Citizens from Oxford and surrounding areas made a serious effort to assist Yocona in reopening their doors. In 2010, Yocona In Exile was opened. Yocona In Exile was another former service station and grocery store. Due to an unstable economic climate, Yocona In Exile closed its doors for good later that year.

In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, mix red wine, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, molasses, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Reduce these ingredients by 1/5 of its original size. Stir occasionally.

The mixture will reduce to a thick, dark Burgundy sauce and will foam on the edges when ready.

Strain sauce into a new pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in butter adding 3 small dabs at a time. Add the butter until desired consistency is formed. Sauce is ready to serve.

Jour 379 | OOD 6

Oxford restaurants offer variety Story by Chris Ruple | Map by Emily Roland Easter is often a joyous occasion for those who celebrate it.

Normally the day starts with a trip to church and ends with a full stomach. Millions of Christians throughout the world are particularly happy when Easter Sunday comes since it marks the end of the Lenten period.

Lent is a ritual recognized by many Christian communities in preparation for the anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Fasting and avoiding eating red meat on Fridays are part of the many sacrifices Christians make during Lent.

With resteraunt menu options in Oxford somewhat limited for thousands of practicing Christians on Fridays, OOD set out on a mission to find the hot spots in town for Lenton meals.

Below are our picks of the best menus for Christians on Fridays during Lent.

Another unlikely stop for a non-meat meal, Papitos’ menu includes a assortment of seafood and vegetarian sections on the menu. The most popular is the shrimp fajita.

7 OOD | Jour 379

The Asian-style cuisine provides an impressive selection of sushi. The menu even supplies you with the comprised ingredients that make up each roll. If sushi is not the first choice, the hibachi grill offers shrimp, salmon, scallops, and even lobster. Soup, salad, or vegetable tempura is also noted as a Friday option.

This Thai restaurant offers a variety of sushi, meat-free soups, salads, and of course the crowd’s favorite, fish taco. Like Kabuki, the soups, salads, and vegetable tempura are your best bets if you don’t like seafood or sushi.

Boure’s upscale atmosphere compliments the delicious dishes. Some of the Fridaysafe meals include: the panseared tilapia, pasta jambalaya, barbecue salmon, pan-seared crabcakes, and the sautéed grouper.

of menu items for lenton season

Although Taylor Grocery is not technically in Oxford, it is a restaurant experience that has gained praises nationwide.

Grilled and fried shrimp are a tasty choice, but the restaurant has gained national acclaim for its catfish dishes.

Pizza usually isn’t the first choice when it comes to finding a meal with no meat, but SoulShine has a selection for this occasion.

Their menu is scattered with shrimp, crawfish, crabmeat, and fresh vegetable pies.

Mcallisters features its very own “Lent Menu” for the entire Lenton season, which includes a variety of different soups, including clam chowder and veggie chili. The menu also includes a couple choice nonmeat “Spuds” one of the signature meals at Mcallisters. Of course the menu wouldn’t be complete without sandwiches. Mcallisters’ Lent Menu includes the following sandwiches: The Veggie, Four Cheese Grilled, Tuna Salad and the Veggie Club.

Known for the best seafood in Oxford, the New Orleans-style deli offers a multitude of po’boys.

Catfish, shrimp, oyster, crawfish, and even alligator are the recommended favorites. Oby’s also serves seafood gumbo and clam chowder, both of which are meatfree. For the customers who don’t enjoy seafood, they have a variety of salads, Ro*Tel and guacamole dip, and a veggie wrap.

Jour 379 | OOD 8

Big hearts

9 OOD | Jour 379

and green thumbs Story By Will Bartz | Photos by Alyssa Randolph

N

estled eight miles south of Oxford, in the picturesque hill country rests Yokna Bottoms Farm. The 20-acre farm runs along the Yokna River, providing nutrient-rich soil and ideal farming conditions.

The complexity of the name, Yokna Bottoms Farm, is only rivaled by the labor-intensive organic practices implemented by the farmers.

The mystery and lore surrounding the name Yokna(patawpha) is deeply rooted in the hills of Faulkner County. Oxford native and classic author, William Faulkner, is credited for sewing the seed that bloomed into the fictional county, Yokna(patawpha).

Many sources credit Faulkner’s inspirations for the fictional county to his understanding and familiarity of the pastures surrounding Oxford.

With the changing of the name, comes a change not only in geographic location, but a change in one’s mindset. Although Yokna Bottoms Farm is located in Lafayette County, it feels worlds away from the superficial hustle and bustle of Oxford.

The simplicity of Yokna Bottoms Farm’s methods is paralleled in the simplicity of its name. Its farming style, like its name, is a stripped down, streamlined, organic operation.

The farm grows a myriad of or-

ganic fruits, vegetables, legumes and lettuces.

When the farm manager, Dakota, said, “I’ll leave the gate open for you,” I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Rows upon rows of lush lettuce greeted me and clean rural air rushed into my lungs. “Should have brought my dog,” I thought to myself.

It is a different world on the farm. My short time there forced me to ask myself the question: “Is this the way things are supposed to be?” My instincts and taste buds led me to a ripe yes.

The farm was purchased by the owner, Douglas R. Davis, in 2007. Doug, a connoisseur of quality, outlines Yokna Bottoms Farm’s goals: “1. Produce local food using sustainable, natural, agricultural practices.

2. Support sustainable agricultural farmers and artisans in north Mississippi (farmers, farmers’ markets and local businesses selling locally-produced products).

3. Serve as a research site for learning and developing successful, organic, agricultural practices within north Mississippi’s ecosystem, climate and soil zones.

4. Provide educational services on local food and sustainable agriculture.

5. Facilitate community life through cooperative production, service and celebration.”

Jour 379 | OOD 10

“

Their farming style, like thier name, is a stripped down, streamlined, organic operation.

Yokna Bottoms Farm is a CSA farm, commonly known as Community Supported Agriculture.

CSA allows a small organic farm to flourish, due to funds brought in by individuals who buy shares in exchange for crop yields. In this model, the farmers and investors share the risks and rewards. For small, organic farms that often operate on razor-thin margins, this is essential.

Yokna Bottoms projects that 70 percent of their total yield for 11 OOD | Jour 379

the 2012 growing season will go to shareholders. The remaining 30 percent is sold at local farmers markets and to restaurants.

For the 2012 growing season, a full share is $500 and a half share option is available for $275. Full share holders receive weekly rations of the total crop yields while half share holders have the option for bi-monthly pickups. The system is also based on points.

For example, a shareholder may have 15 points to work with for

one specific week.

To be completely honest, I don’t think they bring home a monetary profit. For these men and women, success is measured in green matter, yet it is not U.S. currency. The unity between the individuals on the farm revolves around a shared love for farming; in a sense, these folks not only have green thumbs, but green hearts.

To find out more, check out http:// yoknabottoms.com/csa/.

A day in the life of a Yokna farmer

By Alyssa Randolph

Jour 379 | OOD 12

By Chris Ruple

O

ne of the most popular hangouts for sports fans and wings fanatics will soon be coming to Oxford.

What started as simple rumors has been confirmed –Buffalo Wild Wings will open its doors in Oxford this fall. The Buffalo Wild Wings Facebook group and website posted information on future employment and location. The Facebook group includes pictures of the construction site, located off Jackson Avenue, next to Home Depot. It also says the restaurant is hiring for the opening day projected in August.

A specialty wing restaurant is in high demand since Wing Fanatic closed its doors last year,

13 OOD | Jour 379

leaving Coup de Ville as the only exclusive buffalo wing establishment in town. An online petition was even started in high hopes of obtaining the goal of a Buffalo Wild Wings coming to Oxford. Proving to executives in Oxford that the wing eatery could sustain in the small town must have been a success.

“I believe Buffalo Wild Wings will have a positive influence on the Oxford eating community,” Jacob Juba, a finance sophomore, said.

Juba said the new restaurant will boost local economy while also satisfying the demand for a quality wings and sports restaurant.

It is believed Buffalo Wild Wings dwelled from a location

in Oxford because of the town’s inability to sell alcohol on Sundays.

“This may be one of the main reasons it has taken so long to get a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Oxford,” Juba said. “Sunday NFL football fanatics probably represent a large portion of the profit margin for the chain restaurants nationwide.”

Even without the ability of alcohol sales on Sundays, Buffalo Wild Wings will be opening its doors in Oxford this August.

For the most current information on the arrival of the restaurant, visit: http://www.facebook. com/” \l “!/BuffaloWildWingsOfOxford” \t “_blank” http://www. facebook.com/#!/BuffaloWildWingsOfOxford.

Big dog bouré

By James Woodley

B

ouré hit its record number of customers, serving 2,012 people during the Double Decker Art Festival this past weekend.

And out of every customer served, all the wait times were less than 25 minutes. Few restaurants in Oxford can boast the staff or facility required to accomplish this feat.

In order for the top-quality establishment to maintain superior customer service and delectable meals, it has two branches of staff and an expo position that works both the front and back house. The front house staff includes the bartenders, receptionists, food runners, servers and one manager. The back of the house, or kitchen staff, includes the chefs, dishwashers and a kitchen manager.

During Double Decker, there were more than 20 people working each shift. With so many different moving parts, organization was essential to their success.

“The coordination on a busy day, like Double Decker, isn’t any different than it is on a slow day,” Amber Reeves, the current front house manager, said. “We have two expos: one for the back of the house, and one for the front of house. They work together to make sure that everything is on the plate that should be and everything looks right. Then, the front of the house expo puts it in the hands of a food runner or server.”

The efficient service isn’t the only thing that draws in so many customers.

“We have a Creole-style to

most of our dishes,” James Branch, a frill cook at Bouré, said. “I do burgers, steaks and salmon. Everything we serve tastes good to me, but my favorite thing to get is the pork tenderloin sandwich. For the price it’s unbeatable. We aren’t the cheapest on the Square, but I think people are willing to pay a little more for the quality.”

The restaurant moved from its old location in March of last year. The new location on the Square loop is the largest restaurant on the square. Reeves admitted that there have been some “growing pains” moving to the new location, but said the transition has gone pretty smoothly.

“The reason I come is for the atmosphere really,” John Montgomery, a bartender at Castle Hill and Bouré patron, said.

“They have the biggest patio on the square, there is nice wood everywhere you look, and it’s not a young, rowdy crowd.”

The owner, executive chef and mastermind behind Bouré, John Currence, was out of town judging a corn dog contest during the festival. Currence was on the TV show Top Chef Masters last year and owns three other restaurants in Oxford: City Grocery, Snack Bar and Big Bad Breakfast.

“I think Currence knows he can trust us,” Branch said. “It felt great to pump all the dishes out on time. There may be some squawking between people, but that’s just part of it. At the end of the day, we know it’s a team effort, and we want to be the best team in town.”

Jour 379 | OOD 14

From the Kitchen: Alan Keller

By Keaton Peek

What restaurants have you worked at in Oxford?

I have worked at 208, Proud Larry’s, and now I currently am the grill chef at McEwens on the square.

Did you cook growing up?

I use to always cook with my mom for holidays and on Sunday’s after church.

Did you go to culinary school?

No, I finished high school then started working as a chef at Johnson Commons on Ole Miss’ campus.

What is your favorite meal to prepare?

My favorite would have to be a medium rare rib eye.

What do you enjoy cooking at home?

Probably just steak quesadillas. I love Mexican food.

How many years have you been a chef?

I have been a chef for 14 years. I started cooking when I was 17 and just kept with it.

What is the hardest thing for you to cook?

Nothing is hard for me to cook. I’m just kidding, but I would probably have to say gravy.

Do you have any secret recipes?

I have a secret crab cake and wonton recipe, but I will never share it. Let’s just say 208’s crab cakes are not like I used to make them.

Original Recipe: Keller’s Brunch Enchiladas Yield 10 Enchiladas

Ingredients:

directions:

2 c. cubed cooked ham ½ c. chopped green onions 10 (8-oz.) flour tortillas 2 c. (8-oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 1 T. all-purpose flour 2 c. half and half cream or milk 1 stick unsalted butter 6 eggs, beaten

Combine ham and onions; place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. In a bowl, combine flour, cream, eggs and salt (if desired) until smooth. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake in a 350 degree over for 25 minutes. Uncover, bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

¼ tsp. salt, optional 15 OOD | Jour 379