Experience Oxford December 2014 / January 2015

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Humane Resolution of Wildlife Problems

y da

The Critter Catcher

opping

in Oxford

Alum Nassour Donates Collection to UM

ideas

International Eateries

ellis in

wonderland

H sh ol i

Global Flavors

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Letter from the Editor

Publisher Ed Meek Editor Tad Wilkes Creative Director Sarah Beth Wiley Smith

Fifteen years into this century, it strikes me that this fall Ole Miss will welcome freshmen who were around three years old when we were wondering whether the world would come to an end on Y2K. I guess we’re now at a safe distance from that juncture to breathe a sigh of relief.

What will the next 15 years hold?

Actual football glory around here?

A pedestrian campus with no cars?

Mayor Denzel Nkemdiche? I don’t like to make predictions. Let’s just enjoy the unfolding of Oxford’s future.

Best of luck with any New Year’s resolutions you may be jotting down.

May your parking meter always be paid up and all your dreams come true.

Advertising Elizabeth DeHart Ja-Mes Logan Steve Vassallo Contributors Gabriel Austin Nicole Bounds Molly Brosier Amelia Camurati Ashleigh Culpepper Callie Daniels Sarah Douglass Tim Hadaway Andy Knef Katherine McLeod Kendyl Noon Courtney Richards Kate Wallace Sarah Beth Wiley Smith

— Tad Wilkes, Editor Find this complete magazine including links to our advertisers on our site, hottytoddy.com Advertising Information: (662) 816-7887 or ads@hottytoddy.com HottyToddy.com | 307 W Jackson Ave, Suite 3 | Oxford, MS 38655 ©2014/2015, New Media Lab, LLC and HottyToddy.com

Visit the Oxford Visitors Center located at 415 South Lamar Monday–Friday: 8 am–5 pm Saturday: 10 am–4 pm Sunday: 1 pm–4 pm Contact 662-232-2477 or www.visitoxfordms.com Download the hottytoddy.com app!

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Table of Contents 9 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Ideas for the Season 12 One Oxford Boutique’s Social Swag

20 A Local Dental Clinic’s Smile-Enhancing Mission 22 Mike Merchant Humanely Catches Problem Critters

Rebel Bookstore

16 Big Bad Breakfast Busts Into Birmingham

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26 UM Alum Ellis Nassour Donates Collection to Library 30 Out on a Limb: The YAC Ornament Auction Returns 31 Ford Center and UM Museum Happenings 34 SPECIAL SECTION: INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS

34 The Rise and Return of El Charro

37 Volta Taverna’s Gyro-ic Cuisine

39 Thai Flavors at Rice & Spice

41 Hail Ming’s

42 Authentic Mex at the Taco Shop

44 Turning Japanese in Oxford

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50 H20 is Still Spicy After All These Years

52 Changes Coming at Petra

54 Maharaja’s Bollywood Bent

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58 A Visit to Historic Cedar Oaks 62 Chicken Pickin’: All the Fuss About Gus 66 Orchard Oxford’s Art of Worship 68 Looking Back on the History of the Tad Pad 72 The Weird World of Mike Henry 74 New Year’s Health Tips from GNC 76 The Wine Bar is a Dream Fulfilled 79 Yardbird Watch: Wingstop Opens in Oxford

On the Cover Cover art by Lucius Lamar, a Plein Air painter, who is represented at Southside Gallery in Oxford.

Lamar is known for his dynamic use of color and perspective.

80 Community Calendar 82 Local Sites & Listings Download the hottytoddy.com app!

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Better than to

Receive

If you haven’t taken care of your loved ones yet for Christmas, what are you waiting for? Options abound in Oxford, with something for everyone on your list.

Culin-Arts

Sorella’s

Swag Society

Rebel Bookstore

3 Chicks

Miss Behavin’ Mimosa Gifts

NY Fashions

Hollywood Feed

Brooks Collection

Sugar Magnolia

Endurance Athletics

Monarch Boutique

Cat Daddy’s

Olive Juice Johnson’s Furniture

Frock Fashions

Oxford boutique is a study in social media success.

By Margaret Wood

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One boutique strives to set itself apart from other Oxford stores. Since its early embrace of social media as both a branding tool and commerce platform, Swag Society has found its niche.

“Social media is very low cost, low investment, and has a low barrier to learning how to do it,” says Scott Fiene, integrated marketing communications professor at the University of Mississippi. “The ability to reach around the world, in some re“I saw the idea from other stores around spects, has leveled the playing field. Swag but really started the social media accounts Society, a small firm, can do what a big because we were new and no one had ever firm like Walmart can with social media.” heard of us,” Manager Charlotte Winthrow says. “I heard that the social media sites Getting Swagger were a great way to spread the word about Fiene emphasizes that social media is something, so that’s what we did.” changing the way firms present their goods and services to potential customSwag Society began utilizing Instagram, ers, while encouraging interaction on the Facebook, and Twitter to reach a broad part of consumers. audience and attract new customers, according to Winthrow. Just one month af- “It’s not like advertising, for example, ter launching Swag Society’s Instagram where no one could compete with account, the store had more than 11,000 Walmart’s resources and clout,” Fiene says. followers. Winthrow posts between one to “Even the little players can have clout 10 images of new merchandise each day. with social media.”

She even offers free shipping to customFiene advises those who wish to use soers who order online or over the phone. cial media marketing to be visible and acFollow and Follow Back tive, recommending that they post more Winthrow says social media seemed like than once a month and are responsive in a natural choice to attract Oxford’s col- interacting with their customers and follegiate audience. “I really just started lowers alike. following my friends and locals around Oxford, and, once I followed them, I fol- “Instagram in particular has worked like lowed their friends, and they followed me a charm,” Winthrow says. “People are alback and so on and so forth until word ways liking the posts and commenting got around about the store,” Winthrow questions about what I have in stock. I says. “I would say I have at least three to definitely think there is a future with this five sales off of Instagram a day. One day type of advertisement, and I know I will last week I had over 30 calls from the posts, continue to use it.” and we made 26 sales.”

Margaret Wood is a student in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media.

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John Currence Talks

BBB Birmingham Big Bad chef branches into the Bama capital.

By Tad Wilkes. Photos by Stan Viner

Big Bad Breakfast’s honest, localized, made-with-love menu has struck a chord, and it’s a concept owner John Currence of City Grocery Group felt would translate in other towns. The location for the pilot restaurant for expansion became obvious.

Currence explains that the decision to branch out into Birmingham didn’t involve crunching data or conducting scientific market studies. Having like-minded business partners including James Claborne and Birmingham restaurateur Nick Pihakis in the city made the choice an easy one. It’s a foundation built on mutual reverence. “(Pihakis’s Jim ‘N Nick’s chain) is a mediumto large-sized barbecue chain, and their concepts are based on quality product, service, ingredient, and an integrity that transcends what a chain of that size would normally imply,” Currence says. “Breakfast 16

is still a very underserved segment of the market. They’ve always been fond of the (Oxford) restaurant and approached me about expanding it. Birmingham, because it’s where they’re located and where the strength of their infrastructure is, made sense for our pilot store.”

It’s not a bad reach for Currence, now a father, either. “It’s close enough that I can reach out and be there in the morning for a meeting and work during the day and be home in time for a late supper,” he says.

Meat and Mimosas While the choice of city for the launch didn’t require much pondering, “the menu did involve some significant head scratching,” Currence says. Consider that the name of the original restaurant itself is a play on Big Bad Love, a novel by Oxford writer Larry Brown, and its menu items are largely puns in reference to works by local and regional writers.

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“The literary thing that we did in Oxford developed organically,” Currence says.

“My fear was that wouldn’t translate in Birmingham. I’ve always been troubled by restaurants that named their dishes. It involves more work and research in divining what that thing is. You want the experience to be as user-friendly as possible.

Particularly at breakfast, they need to go in and see eggs, pancakes, waffles. They’re bleary-eyed and don’t need complication. My partners were very firm in their conviction that we didn’t need to change anything about the model from Oxford.

So, we went about devising these literary titles what are more germane to Alabama.

People have really cottoned to it.”

with the same guys (Pihakis’s Fatback Pork Project in Eva, Alabama) ... Then we started looking locally for grits and cane syrup and things like that in the Birmingham area. It speaks to the same idea and creates a consistency with the philosophy of the restaurant, but it’s not 100 percent the same as far as the flavor profiles. The cheeses, the flours will have slight variations from location to location.”

Tipples are part of the equation as well, with specialty cocktails, local and regional craft beers, and keg wines.

Awake in Alabama The new restaurant opened in mid-2014.

“The honeymoon or party part is over, and For instance, there’s a nod to Harper Lee now the business part begins,” says Curin the Moo Radley hamburger, the Gump- rence. “This is a venture we’re looking to worthy Greenbow County cathead biscuit, grow into a number of different cities. and the Drifting Cowboy skillet dish in It’s beginning in the South, but we feel it has potential to grow beyond the South. tribute to Alabama-born Hank Williams.

It’s one more thing we can hang on the “As far as the sourcing goes, the protein hat rack of Oxford as it grows. One of the part, which is the backbone of the op- things that will always appear on the eration—bacon, sausages, hams, and what menu is that it was born right here in Misnot—we were in the process of relocating sissippi. There’s a pride that goes along production of those to a slaughterhouse with that.” facility that we’re partnered in over there Download the hottytoddy.com app!

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A Smile 4 U is a modern, state-of-the-art “I fell in love with Oxford when my oldest daughter became a student at Ole Miss,” family dental clinic.

Edwards says. “I decided to join AS4U when

By Callie Daniels I found out that the owner of the company A Smile 4 U, between Twisters and High- and I attended dental school at University point Coffee on West Jackson Avenue, is a of Tennessee together and also my partner dental clinic for both children and adults. at AS4U Dr. Joseph Ruder. I knew then it The location offers comprehensive dental would be a great atmosphere to expand care with three dentists and a licensed or- my clinical practice.” thopedic on staff.

Dr. John Russell III at the clinic says, “It is a Dr. Joseph Ruder, a dentist who has worked modern, up-to-date facility providing qualwith A Smile 4 U for five years, says, “Most ity dental care.” He says the dental facility procedures can be done by our dentists strives to be involved in the community without being referred to another dentist. when opportunities arise.

We can perform procedures ranging from The staff visits elementary schools to edusimple fillings to root canals, crowns, wiscate kids on good hygiene and provides dom teeth removal, and braces. In addition, dental exams and patient education at we have hospital privileges to perform seHeadstart schools in north Mississippi, says dation dentistry.”

Dr. Matthew Chow. The dentists also parWith 19 years’ experience, Dr. Rebecca ticipate in back-to-school health fairs held Edwards came to A Smile 4 U two years every August. Recently they participated in ago from her private practice in Jonesboro, the Trunk or Treat event in Batesville, and Arkansas. Edwards says she appreciated A they will be having their annual Cookies Smile 4 U’s state-of-the-art facility that she With Santa to raise money to help a needsays is unlike other corporate dental offices ful family on Christmas. seen throughout Mississippi.

A Smile 4 U is at 2311 West Jackson Avenue, Suite 302. For more information, visit www.asmile4u.com.

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Mike Merchant’s catch-and-release techniques resolve wildlife problems.

By Steve Vassallo

Wildlife Resolutions was founded by Mike Merchant in 2009 and has assisted some 500 clients in removing unwanted guests from their homes. I had the pleasure to work with Mike on two occasions this year, as our home was invaded twice by groundhogs. The final score was Wildlife Resolutions 2, Groundhogs 0, as the critters found a new home in rural Lafayette County.

EO: Mike, squirrels are extremely visible in Oxford. Describe the species that we are mostly dealing with here.

Merchant: The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the smallest species in the state. They are typically eight to 10 inches long and have a seven-inch tail. They weigh a pound or slightly more. These critters have two litters each year with an average of three born between January and March and again June through August.

EO: What is the potential damage they can cause for the homeowner?

Merchant: The number one complaint is the noise factor. They are intense chew22

ers and attack woodwork, siding, and roofing and deface the property. They can chew pipes and electrical wires, which can cause house fires. They can carry disease and create unwanted odors. Ticks and fleas often accompany them.

EO: Why do they target our homes and commercial buildings?

Merchant: They are opportunists and seek out accessibility. (They like) the shelter the houses and buildings provide them from their predators such as hawks, owls, foxes, raccoons, cats, and dogs.

EO: What about raccoons?

Merchant: These animals are known to be carriers of rabies and can move into a home or building. They produce terrible odors from common latrines. They are also known for worm disease. They breed throughout the year with April and May the most common timeframe. They are highly aggressive, weigh between 10 and 20 pounds, and able to use their front paws as human hands.

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EO: Will a homeowner’s insurance be protection against these invasions?

Merchant: Most policies will cover raccoons but not squirrels, as they are considered rodents.

EO: Do you ever get calls involving rats?

Merchant: There are two different species: the roof rat and the sewer rat. The former is European, and the the latter originated in Norway. The roof rat is slightly bigger than a squirrel. A homeowner can be alerted by noise and droppings. They like to tunnel through insulation.

EO: Mike, provide us with a recent story of one of your interesting successes.

Merchant: In the Grand Oaks area, the owners had been on vacation and had returned at night. They had been doing some work in their basement prior. The homeowner had gone into the basement and felt like he had stepped on an extension cord. It was actually a five foot snake. I was able to catch it using glue traps. The peace of mind for the family was significant.

EO: I keep forgetting all of the critters that you go after. Looking at the total picture from a 100% perspective, can you break down the calls for us?

Merchant: I would say squirrels top the list at 35% with raccoons next at 25%.

These two are followed by moles, 20%; armadillos, 5%; beaver, 5%; groundhogs, 4%; flying squirrels, 3%; opossums, 2%; and snakes, 1%.

EO: Please summarize what Wildlife Resolutions can do for property owners in the area with a problem.

Merchant: We deliver a quick response to limit the damage. Our deliverables include peace of mind and safety for families and their pets. We also provide education to better protect the home and are proud of our reasonable approach in pricing, follow-up and our ability to perform insurance evaluations.

For more information, contact Merchant at (662) 832-WILD (9453) or via email at wildliferesolutions@ yahoo.com.

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor.

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Ellis in Wonderland UM grad gives back to alma mater with impressive entertainment collection.

Noted journalist and author Ellis Nassour began donating a comprehensive art and entertainment collection to the University of Mississippi beginning in 2004.

For the last 10 years, the 1964 UM graduate has generously continued this tradition of giving. Nassour’s collection, named the Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts & Entertainment Collection, was given in memory of his late parents of Vicksburg.

It also salutes a number of University of Mississippi faculty who influenced him, including former Chancellor J. D. Williams, Dr. Charles Noyes, and several others.

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As a student Nassour contributed multiple articles to The Daily Mississippian.

His lifelong interest in the entertainment field was notably expressed during his two-year tenure as chair of the Associated Student Body Social Affairs Committee, where he gained valuable experience bringing to campus renowned bands and concert artists such as Johnny Cash, Julie London, and Al Hirt, among numerous others.

He worked for The New York Times, getting his start as a “campus runner” during the university’s integration crisis. He continued his career becoming director, artist relations, for MCA Music/Universal Pictures, contributing to the development

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of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s tour-de-force Jesus Christ Superstar. He also furthered the careers of numerous musical artists, was an associate editor of the New York Daily News, and is a longtime contributor to Playbill, Lifestyles magazine, Theatermania.com, and BroadwayStars.com. Nassour authored two books: Patsy Cline and Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline. He also coauthored Rock Opera: The Creation of Jesus Christ Superstar and is currently at work on his autobiography, Ellis in Wonderland: the Adventures of a Southern Lad through the Looking Glass and What He Saw.

Nassour developed a keen interest in the performing arts from an early age, and he continues to collect materials relating to the entertainment industry. The collection is named in honor of the two most important people in his life, his parents Mamie and Ellis Nassour, and it contains visual and audio materials, original posters, signed playbills, bound plays, books, art, and many other significant items related to theater and film. In 2004, then director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Dr. Charles Wilson, commented, “The Nassour collection gives the university a new breadth of research material, stretching from Hollywood to the

Left: The collection contains many significant items related to theater and film.

Above: Ellis Nassour.

Right: Nassour in the 1964 Ole Miss yearbook.

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New York stage and back to the South. The primary sources on Patsy Cline, in particular, help support the Center’s new emphasis on the study of Southern music.”

The exciting upcoming Special Collections exhibition, “Entertainment Collectors, Authors, and Critics: Selections from the Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts & Entertainment, Stark Young, and Herschel Brickell Collections,” will be unveiled January 22 in the Faulkner Room on the third floor of the J. D. Williams Library and will run through December 2015. Although the exhibition highlights the critical and collecting efforts of three Mississippians, it is the Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts and Entertainment Collection which forms the exhibition’s nucleus, with several of the

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most prominent cases and wall art featuring the efforts of Nassour’s outstanding collecting ability. The Special Collections staff is currently selecting notable items from this collection for display, but there are planned cases on the playbills, specific actors and actresses, pressbooks, posters, Nassour’s own critical work, and several other subject areas. In conjunction with the Special Collections exhibition, the library will also feature display cases on the second floor devoted to the Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts and Entertainment Collection. These cases are also slated to open on January 22 and will remain on display for several months. Library Dean Julia Rholes invites all patrons interested in the history of the performing arts to visit both exhibits.

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BELK

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Out on a Limb Yoknapatawpha Arts Council events insure that Oxford never has a dull moment.

In December and January, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council will host a variety of art opportunities and events. Here’s info on a few exciting offerings. For the full YAC calendar, visit OxfordArts.com. crafted by local and regional artists are what makes this one of the most unique events we present. We’ve seen all types from a Darth Vader Santa, to small sculptures, to a doll of former Mayor Richard Howorth.”

The ornaments are auctioned off at the event, which features holiday treats created by local chefs, a specialty cocktail, and wine tasting. Hollywood Feed will host a doggie swami — a fortune-telling dog who will predict the fortunes of guests attending the party.

december 11 Arts council ornament auction a highlight of the season.

The Holiday Party and Ornament Auction is the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council’s biggest event of the year, showcasing local artists’ creative talent on ornaments. Funds raised by the annual auction benefit the YAC program fund, which provides support to local art programs and provides access to the arts for residents of Lafayette County. The event is Thursday, December 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. and is part of the two-week Winter Arts festival activities that include plays, art markets, and ballet. YAC seeks local artists of all types: folk artists, painters, stained glassmakers, blacksmiths, and sculptors to create original ornaments.

“This auction gives artists the freedom to step outside their comfort zone to create any kind of ornament,” says YAC Executive Director Wayne Andrews. “The ornaments hand-

Artists are thanked for their donation with a membership YAC for a year that provides discounts on programs and free tickets to the Holiday Party and Ornament Auction.

Ornaments are due Thursday, December 5 at the YAC office located in the Powerhouse Community Arts Center (413 South 14th Street, next door to Newk’s on University Ave).

To donate an ornament or for information on how to get an invitation to the party contact, YAC at (662) 236-6429. Previews of ornaments will be available on the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council page on Facebook.

Founded in 1975, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is committed to a diverse offering of artistic and cultural opportunities. Each year, YAC creates and delivers an exciting package of projects, programs, and good works in the spirit of its mission to the community. Visit OxfordArts.com for more information.

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The Ford Center The University Museum gives Oxford and Ole Miss access to enriching works.

Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications

Goodie Gumdrops Gingerbread Village is back

The Ford Center’s 2014 Gingerbread Village goes on display December 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will run through December 18. The Gingerbread Village presentation, which supports local food pantries by asking visitors donate non-perishable items, has become an anticipated part of Oxford’s holiday tradition in recent years.

The University Museum is located at the corner of University Avenue and 5th Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about the Museum, visit museum.olemiss.edu or call (662) 915-7073. Follow the museum on Facebook, Twitter (@UMmuseum) and Instagram (ummuseum) for the latest updates, exhibits, events, and showings.

Here’s a FREE opportunity for family fun at the Museum: December 6

Santa’s Work/Shop 10 a.m.–until noon

For the full schedule of when the village is open to the public, visit FordCenter. org/gingerbread-village-information.

For information about Ford Center events, visit FordCenter.org.

A study in modern theatre majesty, at six stories tall and 88,000 square feet, the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts features two performance spaces, state-of-the-art theatrical production facilities, excellent acoustic qualities, well-appointed lobbies, and comfortable seating for 1,200 in the main hall. It’s become a landmark where fantastic performances come to life.

In this fun, drop-in workshop, families will start at the UM Museum to create seasonal crafts, eat yummy holiday snacks, and visit the Ford Center’s Gingerbread Village. All ages are welcome to participate, and pre-registration is not required.

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Cambridge Station 662.234.1801

801 Frontage Road • Oxford, MS 38655

Faulkner Flats 662.234.4558

2998 Old Taylor Road • Oxford, MS 38655

Old Taylor Place 662.236.4300

2112 Old Taylor Rd. • Oxford, MS 38655

Lexington Pointe 662.281.0402

2000 Lexington Pointe Dr. • Oxford, MS 38655

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Meet the man behind some of Oxford’s best Mexican restaurants — and that sprawling estate on Highway 6.

By Callie Daniels. Photos by Sarah Beth Wiley Smith

The Rise and Return

of El Charro

Muñoz have opened 22 restaurants around the South, mainly in north Mississippi and western Tennessee. The Muñoz brothers built their fortune slowly and surely, adding each new restaurant when the time was right.

Muñoz says, “El Charro was one of the first Mexican restaurants in Oxford, if not Mississippi. We started with little money but we built a good legacy. I used to travel around and guide restaurants in earlier days, but now I am here in Oxford with my family.”

He is father to four children, of which two help him run Casa de Mexicana.

The drivers barreling down Highway 6 toward Oxford from Batesville are prone to slow down to rubberneck at a sprawling orange mansion on the right, behind a metal gate emblazoned with horses. Some folks accidentally drift into the rumble strip in front of this mansion, and a few even pull over to snap photos in front of the gates. The owner of that wondrous view amid the northern Mississippi hills is Ramiro Muñoz, owner of Casa Mexicana and TeQuila’s Mexican Grill & Bar in Oxford.

A Good Legacy Twenty years ago, Muñoz drove around Oxford and decided to open a restaurant. He had years of experience working with the Cancun restaurant chain in Nashville before he moved to Oxford. In January of 1995, he opened El Charro where Coop DeVille resides now. Then he moved it to 1908 West Jackson Avenue and morphed it into Casa Mexicana in 2007, a large restaurant with a fountain welcoming hungry customers to eat traditional Mexican dishes of chicken, beef, and pork with vegetarian options, as well as Mexican desserts such as flan and fried ice cream. Their margaritas don’t hurt either.

Muñoz also opened TeQuila’s Mexican Grill & Bar in 1999. He and his brother Martin

His son, Ramiro Muñoz, currently manages Casa Mexicana, with plans for the future.

“It’s a few small changes, such as making the patio more open to outside and upgrading the tables and such,” he says.

The Horseman Returns His father also has plans for changes: a new El Charro, a return of his first restaurant, in Oxford Commons. He will let the lease end on TeQuila’s in July 2016 and move its staff to the new restaurant. The restaurant will be near the bowling alley, which is currently under construction in Oxford Commons.

“There will be new cooking with organic dishes, a better atmosphere,” the elder Muñoz says, pulling out his iPad to share photos of furniture and decorations he’s picked out for El Charro. For his restaurants in the past, he and his brother had even traveled to Mexico to bring back murals and furnishings from their homeland. The family was originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, but consider Mississippi their home.

Muñoz’s eyes light up as he talks about his restaurants from the days when he worked in kitchens. He and his son talk a bit over each other, the father’s energy evident also in his son.

Callie Daniels is a staff writer at HottyToddy.com.

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305 S. Lamar Oxford, MS 662 259 2696 We carry a wide variety of Mississippi-made Merchandise

D OWNTO WN ABBE • RECEPTIONS • PARTIES • EVENTS

downtownabbe.com

1 Business 7 S • 662-801-1304 • ABBEVILLE

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Great American Gyros Volta Taverna entering 10th year of Greek cuisine in Oxford.

By Nicole Bounds

A plane ticket to Greece could cost you a thousand dollars, but there is no need to even leave Oxford to get some Greek cuisine. Get your fill of hummus and gyros at Volta Taverna on North Lamar.

Randy Yates, owner of Ajax, came up with the idea for Volta and took Ajax veteran and current Volta Owner Brooke Krizbai with him to North Lamar to open it in July 2005. They celebrate their birth month each July with half-price margaritas. Krizbai then bought Volta from Yates in 2007.

Great Balls of Goodness Krizbai says the most popular items on the menu are the hummus, pita melts, gyros, and the salads, and the homemade desserts are also a hit. Volta does half price margaritas every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Perhaps one menu item Volta is most known for is the Hotty Toddy Balls, made of garlic mashed potatoes, mozzarella cheese, and bacon. The balls are coated in an egg wash, dipped in ranch-seasoned flour and fried.

They are then served with a side of ranch for dipping.

Local Love The food is not the only thing that makes Volta unique. The atmosphere is like no other restaurant in Oxford. Volta is one of the few places with full service outdoor dining. If you choose to eat inside, it is hard not to immediately notice all the artwork on the walls. The restaurant is completely decorated with artwork from local artists, and the art is for sale to customers. “We love supporting the Oxford community any way we can,” says Krizbai. “I have a very special staff that takes pride in making Volta a great place to eat.

They care about their customers and have fun working hard, and since the staff is happy to be at work, it makes for a great atmosphere.”

At least one customer seems to agree with Krizbai. Ole Miss student Kirby Thames recommends trying the spicy chicken stew, but she says the stew isn’t the only reason she keeps going back to Volta. “Volta has a unique atmosphere and great service. I love when it’s nice out and they open up the big windowed garage doors,” says Thames.

Krizbai says she wants first-time guests to not be afraid to order a few things to try, because they can always take the extra home to eat later.

Nicole Bounds is a student in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at Ole Miss.

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RESPECT YOURSELF

2214 JACKSON AVE W • OXFORD, MS 38655 662.234.5687 • WWW.GNC.COM

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Rice, Spice, and Everything Nice Since the restaurant opened four years ago, Oxford diners are fit to be Thai-ed.

By Gabriel Austin

Oxford has no shortage of Japanese and Chinese offerings, but one of the purveyors of Thai cuisine is Rice & Spice on Jackson Avenue.

“When I looked around in the Dallas, Texas area, there was too much competition,” says Owner Sahit Thamutok. “Every corner over there has a Thai restaurant.

So, I came here to visit our cousin who’d lived here for 17 years, and there was no real Thai food place here in Oxford.

We thought it was a good chance that it could work.”

By the size of some of the lunch and dinner crowds during my visit, I think Thamutok was completely right. Oxford has definitely taken to the restaurant since the doors opened in 2010.

“We thought it would take us at least about six months before people got used to our food or willing to come try, but one factor I didn’t think of was the university,” Thamutok says. “Because of the university you have diverse people that come from everywhere and already had Thai food in their hometown. At that time, we were only open for three days, and we had to shut down because we ran out of food.”

The menu has something for everyone of varying levels of adventurousness. Thamutok says one of the most popular dishes is the Thai fried rice, since most people have had fried rice at Japanese or Chinese restaurants.

Like many other Asian restaurants, Rice & Spice offers guests a choice of spice level, ranging from zero to five, and offer a very pleasant experience to all customers that enter their doors. The wait staff is very polite and not too in-your-face, but they will always get you anything that you need.

Don’t worry about avoiding anything on this menu. The Thai owner has done a great job of bringing authentic flavors from his home country to the small city of Oxford.

Gabriel Austin is a student in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at Ole Miss.

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Not Your Father’s Orange Chicken

Ming’s Kitchen is more than your average Chinese restaurant.

By Andy Knef Photos by Sarah Beth Wiley Smith

I’ve lived in a lot of places in this country, and you can find at least one Chinese restaurant in almost every town. If you’re lucky, you find that one primo pick to count on for great takeout or a tasty dining-in time.

hot and sour, which had just the right amount of spice. Our spring rolls were yummy.

Eating lunch at Ming’s Kitchen, on West Jackson next to Dollar Tree, this week, I got more than I bargained for. I immediately commented to my lunch partner, HottyToddy.com Creative Director Sarah Beth Wiley, that the orange chicken tastes better than other varieties of the Asian mainstay I’ve had in other establishments. The chicken was crispy, the vegetables fresh, and the sauce velvety.

“Ming’s Kitchen is the place where you can find traditional and special Chinese food,” Ming Wu says of his restaurant, which opened in early October, 2014. “It is the ideal destination for people who want to try something different. Not limited to the normal dishes, we also have crispy double pan-fried noodles, Vietnamese noodle soup (pho) and special beef noodle soup to name only a few. We also do Szechuan cooking as well. Not only do we aim to cook good food, we aspire to cook healthy as well. No MSG is added.”

Sarah Beth had the cashew chicken and loved it. She had won ton soup, and I had the

Our server Lisa Wu, wife of Owner Ming Wu, was friendly and efficient.

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Bite Your Tongue The Taco Shop’s popularity owes to its fresh offerings.

By Tim Hadaway

The Taco Shop, located on University Avenue—behind Oby’s and between AutoZone and Sugar Magnolia, is a quaint hideout rife with fresh deliciousness. Its authentic Mexican cuisine, trinkets, and pleasing memorabilia on the walls makes it a comforting spot.

Opened four years ago by owner Pedro Leyva, the Taco Shop serves dishes made fresh and pair well with a full complement of cocktails, beer, and other beverages. You’ll go home feeling nothing but full and satisfied. Each plate has big portions and clean, crisp

flavors. The ship has daily specials and a fairly extensive menu, mostly in Spanish. They offer about 13 different kinds of meat in their tacos, burritos, and quesadillas including, if you’re feeling wild, tongue and head, as well as that tasty Mexican sausage chorizo.

Tacos are available with hard or soft shells and with black beans and rice or refried. Each comes with cilantro and onion, and if you buy four you can get one free. I highly recommend their burrito with a nice sopa or soup, preferably tortilla. They even have fried fish that you can stuff into one of the three items, and refrescos like Coca-Cola in the bottle.

Tim Hadaway is a student in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at Ole Miss.

photo by Jenner Jordan

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201 N. Lamar • oxford • (662) 234-1360

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Jensei, photo by Jenner Jordan

The Sun Also Rises Japanese options abound in Yoknapatawpha.

By Kendyl Noon and Courtney Richards

There was a time when the only Asian cuisine in town was Chinese, and it was Ruby Chinese. Today, a variety of Asian flavors are available in Oxford, and one cuisine that’s really grown is Japanese. Here, we take a look at three popular purveyors of dishes from the Land of the Rising Sun.

1. Toyo Japanese Sushi Bar

& Hibachi (Formally Nagoya) $$ Where to find them: In the Galleria on West Jackson Avenue, between Newks and Kinnucan’s.

Reason to go: Let’s start with the wonderful hospitality. From the moment we sat down to when we left the restaurant, we were welcomed by a helpful staff making sure our experience was a good one. The tranquil fountain separating the sushi seating from the hibachi grills added a natural divider. If you consider yourself a Japanese amateur, every member of the staff was very menueducated and could find something on their menu for anyone’s taste buds. “Hibachi is probably one of the most popular [items.] It doesn’t just taste good, but it’s fun to watch,” says manager Kheng H. Chan. “If you see your food prepared in front of you, you don’t have to worry about how it’s made back in the kitchen.”

What we tried: We had the Hibachi Chicken Lunch, a Hotty Toddy Roll, and the Dragon & Phoenix Roll. The Hibachi Chicken came with hibachi soup, salad with ginger dressing, fried rice, vegetables, and chicken. Very filling, but worth every bite. The Hotty Toddy roll was jumbo shrimp tempura, cream cheese, and avocado rolled in rice and soy wrap, then topped with tempura batter and diced mango in a special spicy sauce.

Perfect for anyone who doesn’t like the raw fish route. The Dragon & Phoenix was two rolls in one. The Dragon part was rolled with jumbo shrimp tempura and avocado and topped with BBQ eel, eel sauce, and sesame seeds. The Phoenix part was rolled with crawfish and shrimp tempura then topped with seared tuna, tempura flakes, roe, and spicy mayo. Delicious! Oh, don’t forget the Yum!Yum! sauce. We don’t know what’s in it; we don’t care, and we know you won’t either after you’ve tried it.

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2. Jinsei

$$$

Where to find them: On North Lamar in the Mid-Town Shopping Center, close to Big Bad Breakfast.

Reason to go: The fun, upbeat atmosphere sets the stage for contemporary Japanese cuisine with a metropolitan twist. This is a perfect place to go to escape the “small-city” feel, and enjoy their chic bar items. Jinsei captures the essence of a big city vibe while still offering an intimate atmosphere. “It’s not super uptight like a traditional white-tablecloth restaurant,” says manager Nate Carlson. “But at the same time we want our service and standards to be at that level.” Carlson also says Jinsei offers the largest Champagne selection in the state of Mississippi.

What we tried: We were at a standstill with the menu, and our server graciously made suggestions based on what we both we did and did not like. We started with the Kadoma tuna made of spicy tuna, tempura rice cake, avocado, jalapeno, scallions, tobiko, and eel sauce.

The party just started. The Red Dragon sushi roll and the Shirohama sushi roll followed the outstanding dish.

3. Kabuki Sushi Bar & Steak

$$

Where to find them: Centrally located on Jackson Avenue, next to Kiamie’s liquor store.

Reason to go: Craving Japanese with a twist? Kabuki’s energetic staff provides an exciting night out with friends or family. The close-knit hibachi setup gives everyone a front view to an entertaining chef performance. The cheery atmosphere is one of the many reasons the restaurant has repeating customers.

Weekly customers Lisa Wilson and Keshia Dykes say they have their favorites, including the spicy seafood soup, but like to try something new every time.

What we tried: We watched the chef prepare our hibachi steak, which came with soup, salad with ginger dressing, fried rice, and vegetables. We also had the Rebel Roll filled with shrimp tempura, cucumbers, and spicy crawfish and topped with their signature rock ‘n’ roll and eel sauce. What can go wrong—they have Yum!Yum! sauce, too!

No matter which Japanese route you choose to take, none of the above restaurants will let you down. Each of them brings an authentic taste of Asia to Oxford.

Jensei, photo by Jenner Jordan

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Kendyl Noon and Courtney Richards are students in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at Ole Miss.

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photos by Sarah Beth Wiley Smith

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Still Spicy After All These Years H20 Oriental Café owners celebrate 25th anniversary of cooking in Oxford.

By Ashleigh Culpepper

The Square is well regarded for its delicious food and welcoming atmosphere, but Oxford also has a very wide variety of international foods as well.

Among them is H20 Oriental Café, located in what many Ole Miss alums and former residents may know as “the old Pizza Den” spot on University, across from Sonic.

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It’s owned and operated by Tri Che and Van Tran, a husband and wife duo who have been in business since 1989. They came to the United States after the Vietnam War, and Tran says they were the last on the boat to leave Vietnam in 1975. The ambitious immigrants came to Oxford in 1979 to visit family and decided to make it their home.

“The people are so nice and friendly that’s why we came to the community” says Tran.

And the people have responded favorably to the menu.

The Bangkok chicken is a rich dish with flavors of vinegar, cinnamon, and dried chilis.

“A lot of the younger crowd orders Bangkok

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chicken,” says Tran. But the most ordered dish is sesame chicken. Tran says the older crowd tends to lean toward Pho Soup, the ingredients of which include of rice noodle, bean sprout, cabbage, cilantro, jalapeño, lime, veggies, and a choice of meat.

After 10 years of being in food service, Tran came to the realization that she wanted to own and operate her own restaurant. She and her husband opened the Far East restaurant in the Oxford Mall in 1989. Since then, they have moved a few times, but their location of H20 on University Avenue is where they hope to stay.

Oxford resident and regular H20 customer Tom Hinton has been a fan since 1989 and says he eats there three to four times a week.

Over the years Tran and Hinton have developed a friendly relationship. Hinton has tried everything on the menu and even some things that are not on the menu; in fact, he says he hasn’t made a formal order since 2005.

“I normally just walk in, and whatever Van thinks I want to eat, she just brings it to me” Hinton says.

Ashleigh Culpepper is a student in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at Ole Miss.

pho soup

sesame chicken

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Petra Café

past, Present, and Future Owner has plans to tweak downtown Mediterranean restaurant.

By Callie Daniels

At the intersection of East Jackson Avenue and Boles Wiley Street next to Tré Amici is a yellow building where Taylor’s Pub once resided, before it Parrish’s, and before that, of course, Wiley’s Shoe Shop.

The café opens at 5:30 p.m. but that didn’t deter a small crowd of people from waiting on the benches outside the restaurant on a Monday evening. The restaurant was comfortably crowded as soon as the door opened.

Petra Cafe has been compared to Volta, but its cuisine is mostly authentic Mediterranean.

There is shish kabob of tenderloin cut grilled as desired and served with skewered vegetables. Gyros are served with chicken or pork, dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce. They can be served up quickly for those who walk in with a growling stomach.

There are also interesting appetizers: labneh (a dish of soft cream cheese made from strained yogurt), kibbeh (a shell of cracked

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wheat stuffed with ground beef and nuts and served with tzatziki sauce) and dalmas (also known as yalangi, in-house hand-rolled grape leaves stuffed with rice and fresh vegetables, all cooked with olive oil.) These appetizers can be tried all at once by ordering the Petra Platter for $11.

Owner Maher Alqasas says the customers’ favorites to order are the gyros and chicken shawarma, a garlicky chicken flavored with a savory yogurt and served on rice or pitas.

Despite having the same name as the beloved Petra Café in Jackson, near Fondren, Petra Café in Oxford isn’t a branch of it. It only has the same name coincidentally. The owner has plans for this restaurant.

“I will turn this restaurant into a bar and change the name when the bar permit arrives,” says Alqasas. “We will serve some pizza, gyros, and popular appetizers.”

He says the chicken shawarma will be kept, too, as well as possibly hummus. “(The restaurant) is going with the trend; we’re hoping for the community’s support during our transition,” Alqasas says.

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A

Bollywood Production

A flavorful visit to Maharaja Indian Cuisine.

By Sarah Douglass

Nestled in a shopping strip off Jackson Avenue sits one of the spiciest gems of Oxford.

Maharaja Indian Cuisine has served Oxford residents authentic Indian dishes since 2007, when Madhu Ankisetty opened shop at 2570 Jackson.

Ankisetty came to Oxford from South India, bringing the best flavors with him. The brick storefront, green awning, and a canary yellow sign reading Maharaja Indian Cuisine marks the gateway to the cheapest trip for your taste buds. My experience began when I entered and met Lucky Attanayka, a man from Sri Lanka.

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“I came here because my wife is working over at the university,” he tells me. “She is getting her PhD in medical acoustics.”

I settle into my plush booth and scan over a menu full of dishes with names that sound like a tongue-tie rhyme. Before I have time to get overwhelmed, Lucky is there, at the ready to help with any and all questions.

After seeing my third question doesn’t shake his patient demeanor, I figure he is used to Oxonians’ questions about the exotic dishes.

There is a total of 77 foods to choose from, all of which I would need to Google to explain. Along with the seemingly endless list of mouth watering mystery dishes, a Japanese hibachi menu is provided for those a little less willing to play the risky “you choose, Lucky” food challenge.

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sings to him. After some awkward courtesy laughs about the restaurant’s complimentary entertainment, I decide to introduce myself to my future new friend, Torumoy Ghoshal.

I move to his booth and learn he’s an exchange student from Bangladesh who believes American food has no flavor. Noted.

Vindaloo and Sitar, Too. I buck up and order the Chicken Vindaloo, extra spicy, and hope I pass as someone cultured and knowledgeable of exotic foods. I’m thrilled with my delivery of vindaloo and settle back into the booth thinking I’m the next Anthony Bourdain.

Lucky brings me back to reality when he delivers papad and green chutney to the table.

It’s air puffed chips and a runny salsa-like dip. Delicious. The chips are very bitter and bland, but the chutney has just enough kick to remind you you’re experiencing the tastes of flavorful India.

By this point it’s impossible not to notice the two televisions in opposite corners playing today’s top hits from Bollywood. I become sucked into these music videos. The story lines are cheesier than a Nicholas Sparks novel, and the singers have more facial expressions than actresses in Spanish soap operas. It’s fantastic, and now I can’t focus on anything else.

The video starts getting pretty steamy and I’ve almost eaten through my whole basket of papad when I make eye contact with the only other customer in the restaurant. It’s now a little awkward, because the man on TV jamming on the sitar is now undressing the damsel in distress with his eyes while she

Tastes to Match Your Tongue “[Since] this morning, I felt like I should have something. I’ve been here for a little over one month, and I want to eat something with tastes that match with my tongue,” Ghoshal tells me.

He schools me on geography and notes there are different flavors of India depending on region. He explains Bangladesh has similar flavors, and Maharaja helps his nostalgia for food “with flavor.”

Lucky brings out my chicken vindaloo, so I head back to my table leaving Torumoy to enjoy the rest of his chicken biryani.

The menu lists vindaloo as “chicken in a tangy sauce with potatoes.” The meal is presented in metal pots that look like those Aladdin would eat out of. I’m thrilled. One pot is full of rice, while the other is filled with a brown, thick liquid full of chicken and potato chunks. I mix it all on my plate and go at it. It’s a burst of flavor. It’s a rich blend of spices unlike any other ethnicity of food. My sinuses are cleared, and my taste buds are awakened. I now realize I have to take back my argument against Torumoy’s claim on flavor.

I go into a food trance and stop hearing the autotuned sitar coming from the TVs. After I slow down and come up for air, I start realizing it’s a little hot. Really hot. Okay, no. It’s like the summer heat of India hot.

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Naan Better I should’ve cooled it on the “extra spicy” demand, because by this point I’ve sucked down two glasses of water, and my eyes are profusely watering, making me look like I’m now not only eating alone, but crying alone.

No worries. I bounce back by ordering a side of naan after Lucky comes to check on me.

He looks concerned.

When the naan comes, I realize it’s a fun word for the Indian version of a tortilla that promises to forever haunt me during any future low-carb diets. It is phenomenal. India has now beaten out the French and their baguettes. This melt-in-your-mouth, warm, triangular slice of heaven is covered in butter or garlic, your choice, and serves as an excellent sponge for the delicious sauces of your entrée.

Lucky decides all my questions and compliments on Indian food are too much for a Sri Lankan, so he gets the chef, Srikanth Kanneganti, from South India, to step away from his art and come talk to me. “They are our own recipes, we make them. I like everything because they have the fresh taste. It’s a mix of flavors…mostly southern and northern,” Kanneganti says.

Kanneganti has been the chef at Maharaja for a year and came to Oxford to help his friend Ankisetty with his restaurant. Before Oxford, Kanneganti lived in Las Vegas getting his masters in cooking. “We do mild.

Some people come in and say its too spicy, so we have mild, medium, and spicy,” Kanneganti says.

After talking with Chef Kanneganti, I meet Abdullah Al-Siyini, an exchange student from Oman, a country in the Middle East that is used to the same flavors of India. He says he has been coming to Maharaja for three years to cure his craving for flavor.

I enjoy the rest of my food, dreaming of India, when a man with a thick Mississippi accent runs in, grabs his to-go order with a big smile and exits. I learn Maharaja not only does takeout, but they also deliver.

That’s great, but you’ll have to YouTube Bollywood’s top hits and Google about Asia in order to get the unusual, diverse experience at home that Maharaja has to offer.

Sarah Douglass is a student in the Meek School of Journalism & New Media at Ole Miss.

Deal’s Auto Repair

Monarch Boutique

Happy Holidays!

Clothing and Gifts

2211 University Avenue Oxford, MS H 662-281-4417

1007 North Lamar, Suite 1 Oxford, MS H 662-380-5133 Like us on Facebook

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Story and Photos by Sarah Beth Wiley Smith

Many Oxonians know and love Cedar Oaks, as it was part of the Oxford Pilgrimage for many years.

flatbed trucks 2.2 miles from its original location (corner of Jefferson and N. Lamar, former site of Downtown Inn/Holiday Inn) to accommodate business development.

But some newcomers might not know this historic location on Murray Street near the Oxford Conference Center. Built in 1859 by William Turner, Cedar Oaks is a Greek revival structure that has survived a tumultuous past. Molly Turner Orr gathered a fire brigade to save the home in 1864, when it was set aflame by occupying Union troops. Nearly a century later, Cedar Oaks was cut in half and moved via

Presently, the home is maintained by the Oxford Historic Properties Commission, and is available by reservation, for civic clubs, teas, receptions, weddings and tours.

Beginning in October, Cedar Oaks began opening for public, docent-led tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the first Friday of each month through December, admission to the historic house will be free.

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On other Fridays, there will be a $5 charge per person for the tours. Docents will take visitors through the rooms and tell them about the building of the house, its Civil War experience, and the rescue of the house from downtown development in the early 1960s. Visitors can see photographs depicting the moving of the house from the corner of Jefferson and North Lamar to its present location at 601 Murray Street on land donated by T. E. Avent.

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For more information or to schedule a private tour at other times, contact Cedar Oaks Guild at (662) 236-4088.

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Sarah Beth Wiley is HottyToddy.com/Experience Oxford Creative Director, and formerly served in the Oxford Pilgrimage as a teen. You can contact Sarah Beth about this story at SB.Wiley@Hottytoddy.com.

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Wine . Spirits Beer . Food .

.

401 South Lamar Blvd.

Oxford, MS (662) 238-3500 www.thewinebaroxford.com

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Fit to Be Fried Checking out the yardbird at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken.

By Molly Brosier

On the Thursday afternoon before the Alabama vs. Ole Miss game weekend, as chaos began to build, I decided to try a new place for dinner. I treated a friend to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, the most recent addition to the Square.

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The restaurant started in Mason, Tennessee, venturing famously to Memphis and now into multiple states.

We walked into a friendly atmosphere and sat down and immediately were approached with smiles and hellos. Not knowing much about what I was getting into, I asked our waitress what the best item on the menu was. She intrigued us with her knowledge of chicken, explain-

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The food speaks for itself. I ordered the dark meat plate, which included a leg and a thigh. For my sides I went with their delicious mac and cheese and collard ing that the white meat is from the belly greens. Ole Miss student Taylor Simonup and dark meat is from the belly down, son says, “It [the food] doesn’t get more Southern than this.” and giving us a little chicken dance.

“We kept the tradition of Gus’s fried chicken with the food, but we localized the Oxford restaurant with a variety of beers from Mississippi,” owner Lockwood Griffin says. Griffin along with co-owners Jim Hudson, an Ole Miss alum, and Justin Worley, opened Gus’s earlier this year on South Lamar, next door to Soulshine Pizza.

The chicken is battered in Gus’s secret recipe, and Griffin says, “All locations use the same recipe that has gone way back, from Mason, Tennessee.”

The amazing flavor keeps people coming back as well. In fact, the focus is so much on the flavor that you hardly notice it’s serviced on paper plates, with plastic “Most of my family went to Ole Miss, and silverware. I personally believe that Gus’s when the franchise became available, we is the best fried chicken in town, and I’ll wanted to bring good fried chicken to Ox- definitely be stopping by for more. ford,” Griffin says.

Molly Brosier is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter.

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Tom Davis, Agent State Farm Insurance速 1015 University Avenue Oxford, MS 38655 TomDavisInsurance.com

(662) 236-2281 64

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Pastor Pat Ward says the new facility affords far more opportunities to inspire the congregation than before. Everything from the increase in natural light, to a bigger sanctuary, to bigger screens used during services, to expanded children’s areas, and ample parking has allowed the Orchard to create a better experience for all.

The Orchard Oxford continues to grow and find inspiration.

By Kate Wallace

The Orchard Oxford has a knack for making a home and house of worship in former funeral homes.

In August 2014, the church moved its congregation just a few miles, from one funeral home to another, now located on Highway 7 North. With a larger space, more parking, and better equipment, the Orchard is now hosting services for bigger groups of people than ever.

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Even the small things, such as moving from two 55-inch TVs in the sanctuary to two large projection screens and an improved sound system, make the experience that much better and much more inspiring, Ward says.

Art Thou Inspired?

“We are really excited about something to share ... about creating common ground here,” Ward said in a video announcing the church’s move, “between our church and our city, between the faith community and the arts community in Oxford.”

Ward says the Orchard hopes to renew and strengthen the church’s connection with and appreciation of the arts—all kinds of arts.

The new church features an art gallery in the main hall and hopes to serve the community as an arts venue, not just a church. In fact, the first art gallery installment was created

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on August 21, featuring work by local artists Benny Melton, Toni Joyner, and Morgan Fyfe, who are members of the Orchard.

The first sermon series in the new Orchard facility was about art as a creative and faithful outlet. Church members add their talents, such as music and songwriting, to the weekly church services. “The church and art used to be much more intertwined,” Ward says.

“We want this to be an outlet for community members to express their artistic talents.”

Orchard Roots The Orchard was started in Tupelo in 1998 and grew rapidly, but the group saw a need for a contemporary version of the gospel in Oxford. There are now four Orchards throughout the area, including two in Tupelo, one in Baldwin and, of course, one in Oxford. Ward and his wife Sara, hosted the small congregation in their living room for nearly a year before setting up shop in the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in

2007. The church met at the Powerhouse, then the Amp movie theatre, then back to the Powerhouse when The Amp closed.

The Orchard even hosted an evening service on the balcony at Rooster’s Blues House on the Square.

It wasn’t until five years ago that the church found a permanent home in Oxford. The old Hodges Funeral Home on Molly Barr Road sat empty for a year before the church began retrofitting the facility for its steadily growing congregation.“We really didn’t think about the funeral home aspect until after we moved in and people started talking about it,” Ward says. “A funeral home really is perfect for a church.”

The Orchard Oxford is located at 295 Highway 7 North. Information about church activities, services, meetings, and more can be found at TheOrchardOxford.net or on the Orchard Oxford page on Facebook.

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the final buzzer Saying goodbye to the Tad Pad.

By Adam Brown Anthony | photos Ole from Miss Athletics Archives SignBoone up for daily courtesy headlines hottytoddy.com

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Keith Carter

The University of Mississippi’s athletic facilities are expanding as every program continues to excel in the Southeastern Conference, and the next big project on the list is an upgrade for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

These squads will play one last season at Tad Smith Coliseum, affectionately known as the Tad Pad, before moving into the Ole Miss Pavilion, under construction now next to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, to be complete by December of 2015.

The Tad Pad opened in 1966 as the Rebel Coliseum, but six years later in 1972, Ole Miss renamed the basketball arena after C.M. “Tad” Smith, a former three-sport letterman, coach, and athletic director at the university.

Throughout the years, the Tad Pad has housed great match-ups against conference and non-conference foes as home base during some great seasons.

The Rebels (men) have won the SEC Western Division five times in 1997, 1998, 2001, 2007, and 2010, and Ole Miss has seen seven NCAA tournament appearances in 1981, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2013. The Rebels also have two SEC Tournament Championships from 1981 and 2013.

Among the memorable players who have taken the court at the Tad Pad in a Rebel uniform are Clarence Sanders, Sean Tuohy, Keith Carter, Michael White, Zach Graham, Anthony Boone, Johnny Newman, and Ansu Sesay. In the late ’90s, the Ole Miss team featuring White, Carter, Boone, and Jason Smith dominated the SEC West, hanging banners for division crowns in backto-back seasons in ’97 and ’98.

On January 11, 1997, the Rebels welcomed the No. 3-ranked Kentucky Wildcats into Oxford. Ole Miss then pulled off the upset, beating the defending national champions 73-69, snapping Kentucky’s 14-game win streak and propelling the Rebels to their first top 25 ranking in school history. The win pushed the Rebs to No. 20 in the AP poll and began a unprecedented Rebel run of six straight postseason appearances and back-to-back SEC Western Division championships.

On senior day in 1998, Ole Miss hosted the Auburn Tigers, and before the game, the team honored the seniors like the always do, but this was a little different with the retirement of Boone’s No. 41 jersey. The Rebels defeated the Tigers 74-67. Coach Rob Evans and his squad received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and faced Valparaiso in the first round of the dance in Oklahoma City. In Download the hottytoddy.com app!

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Michael White

the final 2.5 seconds of the game Ole Miss led 69-67 . Valpo’s Bryce Drew hit a three-pointer as the clock hit zeros, ending the ’98 run.

Under the direction of coach Rod Barnes, the Rebels advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen of NCAA March Madness. After winning the third Western Division crown, they were defeated by the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats 66-56.

More recently, in 2011, Ole Miss took on a Top 10 Kentucky team in the middle of a rare blizzard in Oxford. In the final seconds of the game, guard Chris Warren hit his 300th three-pointer of his college career and defeated the Wildcats 71-69 in a stunning last-second win in the Tad Pad. Coach Andy Kennedy has been with the Rebels since 2006 and has led the team to 170 wins in eight seasons, including a 21-13 season to tie for first in the SEC West in his opening season and a 27-9 year in 2012-13 to make it to the third round of the NCAA tournament.

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The women’s basketball program began in 1974 and has been a fixture at post-season tournaments ever since.

The Lady Rebels have appeared in the NCAA tournament 17 times, including the inaugural 1982 tournament straight through to 1992 and again in 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, and 2007. They have reached the Sweet Sixteen eight times and the Elite Eight five times. Entering the 2008 season, the program has an all-time win-loss record of 686-353 for a 66 percent average.

The 1992 team won the SEC with an 11-0 conference record and finished the season with a final record of 29-3, the most wins in team history.

Even though the Tad Pad is a very small arena, the atmosphere has been electric for many games and a tough environment for opposing teams. The memories of big wins and hard losses will forever linger when reminiscing about matches at the Tad Pad, but the Rebel basketball teams are ready to make new memories in the new arena next year.

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Germs, Priapism, and Waiting for the Doctor

By Mike Henry

I’m telling you about my experience this morning because I am very concerned about your health. You have not looked all that great lately and I’m afraid you might be coming down with something.

You should seek medical treatment, but take my advice: DO NOT BREATHE OR TOUCH ANYTHING IN THE DOCTOR’S WAITING ROOM. EVERYONE THERE IS SICK AS A DOG. I am not yet famous and hounded by paparazzi, so my physicians will not come to my house to inject me with industrial 72

grade pharmaceuticals. When I need medical care I have to make an appointment like the rest of you, which is humiliating enough. And that thing I have to make—the appointment. I swear I heard the receptionist giggle when she told me on the phone last week that my appointment was at 9 a.m.

I showed up this morning a minute before nine. There was standing room only in the waiting room. I pushed and shoved my way to the receptionist. I tripped over a grandma’s aluminum walker, but because of my incredible balance I recovered. The receptionist slid the glass open and pointed to a clip-

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board. “Sign in,” she barked. I reached for the Bic pen but my hand froze. I stared as the pen seemed to pulsate and wriggle as if alive. Using my laserlike concentration, I figured out why. EVERYONE WHO SIGNED IN WITH THAT PEN IS DEATHLY ILL. I shuddered and pulled out my own pen, knocking aside the germ-encrusted Bic with my elbow.

Under “Time of Appointment” I wrote “9:00 a.m.” and looked at the thirty names ahead of me on the sign-in sheet. With the SKREEK SKREEK SKREEK of Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO music in my brain, I realized all thirty had written in “9:00 a.m.” Well, that’s not really an appointment, is it? “Uh, Miss, all these people are….” “Sit down until we call your name,” Nurse Ratched said. I schlubbed my way to the corner.

Sixty eyes, no, make that 59, because one old guy wore a yellow-medicinestained gauze patch covering one eye, followed my every move. I leaned against the wall, hoping someone would pass out onto the floor so I could get a seat. Two cell phones chimed at the same time. An old man sneezed then loudly described to his caller intimate details of the rupture in his groin. A nice lady answered hers on speaker, blew her nose, and babbled enthusiastic babytalk to her grandchild on the other end.

The outside door opened and a grimacing man, bent at the waist fought his way through to the reception window where he told the receptionist in a stage whisper “…they said on the t.v. if it lasted four hours to see the doctor, so here I am.” He was instantly admitted to THE LAND BEYOND THE RECEPTION GLASS and within five minutes shrill laughter from two dozen nurses filtered through the walls into the waiting area, where everyone pretended not to hear.

My cheeks grew hot in sympathy.

My God, man. Have those nurses no shame?

After three hours my knees buckled and I fell forward, smashing my nose against a heavy steel prosthetic leg the man next to me had removed to polish.

I tore off my shirt and pressed it to my face to stanch the blood gushing from my nose. The receptionist noticed and I was ushered quickly into THE LAND BEYOND…, where a nurse practitioner stuffed my nose with cotton and asked “what seems to be the problem?” I described the shooting pains I’ve had the last three weeks running from my heart through my shoulder. “The pain is excruciating when I walk more than 10 feet,” I said. The nurse said “there’s a lot of that going around,” and told me to take two Aleve and begin a daily regimen of St. John’s Wort and one large garlic clove.

While you may think my doctor visit was less than optimal, some good came out of it. I was referred for my broken nose repair to an ENT who has opened an office in an old Sonic location. The nurses skate to your car and do a workup through the window. It’s comforting because any car is more hygienic than the waiting room and if surgery is needed, the doctor leases space on the hydraulic lift at the former Jiffy Lube location next door and adjusts the O.R. table up and down as needed. I’m scheduled for surgery at the Jiffy Lube next week, but if there’s a lightning storm and the ENT raises me to the ceiling, I’m hightailing it before the villagers show up with their torches and pitchforks.

Michael Henry is a writer in Oxford. A graduate of Tulane and Virginia Law School, Henry published his seventh novel, Finding Ishmael, in April 2014. ©2014 Mike Henry.

Where to start with New Year’s resolutions

By Amelia Camurati

A new year means a fresh start to set goals and improve on some flaws, and many people make New Year’s resolutions to focus on improving their health and fitness.

“People start thinking more about their health,” Oxford native and GNC Manager Lindsay Bryant says. “It’s not just about ‘I have to lose weight’ or ‘I have to get back on track,’ it’s ‘Maybe I should be better to myself.’ ” This year, Bryant has a few tips and products to help get you started on your path to a healthier 2015.

TAKE YOUR VITAMINS Everyone needs vitamins.

GNC’s supply of vitamins all are inspected thoroughly before hitting the shelves, and Bryant says her store has some of the most respected vitamins in the industry. “We go to the grocery store, and the land that food came from has been plowed over and over and over, and after a while, the soil isn’t as nutrient-rich, and the vitamin deposits are diminished,” Bryant says. “Even for those people who are eating four or five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which is almost unheard of in Mississippi, still aren’t getting what they were 60 years ago.”

CLEANSE YOURSELF Gentle clea nses are good for your system. Most people have never been on a juice cleanse, but Bryant says a cleansing can do wonders for the overall well-being of a person.“Lots of people eat things in wrappers that are pre-packaged that have preserva tives and all this other junk in it,” Bryant says.

“I’m not talking about Colon Blow, which is harsh, I’m talking about natural things that have been flash -dried that are fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mineral s that cleanse the intestines, liver, and colon.”

do ex ist The Healthy diet products icated to belly ded are ts duc most popular pro se products focus on fat and weight loss, and the cepts, such as slownatural ingredients and con erol to burn more lest cho ing down the release of rease appetite. dec to ars sug od fat or leveling blo product, is Bryant’s Olio, a conjugated linoleic acid king to lose a little top suggestion for those loo weight before summer.

HERE FISHY FISHY Fish oil is good for everything.

The American diet isn’t very Mediterranean, so we often miss out on the benefits, such as omega 3s, that come with eating a lot of fish. “It’s fantastic for your brain, it’s fantastic to help with circulation, it keeps your blood from clotting, and it keeps the arteries cleaner,” Bryant says. “It’s great as an antiinflammatory, so it’s great for your joints, and it’s great for your skin. It’s something I think everyone should take.”

MORE PROTEIN Protein is important for athletes and nonathletes alike. GNC has a wide range of powdered, liquefied, and edible protein supplement options to help people get a little extra mixed with their daily foods. “Most people don’t get enough protein in their diet, and it’s the most prevalent thing in your body outside of water. Your hair, your skin, your muscles—they all need it,” Bryant says. “If you don’t get enough through food sources, that’s a good first-of-the-year thing, because not only does it build muscle but it repairs muscle post-workout.”

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The Oxford GNC is a small, locally owned store stocked with employees who know their products and how to answer questions to help every customer—from the seasoned athlete to the middle-aged mother of three—understand what they’re getting and establish a perfect regimen for specific needs.

For more information about the Oxford GNC, call (662) 234-5687.

Explore New Media With Us The Meek School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi offers undergraduate degrees in Journalism and in Integrated Marketing Communications.

A Master始s in Journalism has Journalism and Integrated Marketing Communications tracks. Courses leading to a Minor in Journalism are available online.

meek school journalism and new media

the university of mississippi farley hall, universit y, ms

38677

Download app! 75 For details, go to our website www.meek.olemiss.edu, or email questionsthetohottytoddy.com meekschool@olemiss.edu.

Pours & Pairings Wine Bar is a dream realized.

By Callie Daniels

Brothers Nelson and Patton Valentine, along with their parents Lee and Helen Valentine and sister Mary Lela, opened the Wine Bar in August, 2014, in downtown Oxford.

The Valentine brothers shared their story with us about their family’s love for wine and Oxford that culminated in the Wine Bar. EO: What inspired y’all to open this venue?

Nelson: Years ago, when my wife Liza and I lived in Atlanta, we frequented a wine 76

bar that was a great spot to stop to grab a glass of wine and some food in a cool atmosphere. The menu was set up to allow you to choose a wine, and, based on your selection, it recommended a food item that would pair well, and vice versa if you chose a food item first. Over the years, we always talked about how great it would be to have a wine bar in Oxford with my family, but it was always causally and it was never something I thought we would actually do ourselves.

Patton: Then, in September 2013, my family came out to Los Angeles to celebrate my mom’s birthday. During that trip, we spent a day at Malibu Wines, which is an outdoor wine tasting venue in Malibu

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where you can bring food and taste wine all day while you listen to live music.

While we were there, our family started talking again about how great it would be if Oxford had a wine bar. My Dad then asked if we wanted to look into it a little more seriously, because he had someone in mind that may be interested in managing it. That person was Kevin Brooks, our current manager. So, while at Malibu Wines, maybe after a few glasses of wine, we agreed to pursue it seriously if Kevin was interested in coming onboard.

EO: Do you participate in choosing the wines or dishes?

Patton: Nelson and I don’t personally participate in choosing the wines or dishes.

We leave that to the experts. Kevin, the manager of the Wine Bar, and our executive chef John Burge choose the wine and dish selections. They work together to come up with a theme for which both the wine and dish selections are based.

For example, we just finished our “West Coast Swing” where we featured wines from the West Coast of the United States along with dishes that complement those wines. We are now transitioning into a new theme and will continue to switch our wine and dish selections throughout the year.

his recent experience as executive chef at Lenora’s in Oxford. We told him he had an open slate with respect to the menu, and he has far exceeded our expectations. The food at the Wine Bar is amazing. We’re very pleased with the way John and Kevin work together to design a menu where the wine and dishes complement each other so well.

Our menu has both tapas style dishes and shareable entrees, so a guest can come in and order a glass of wine and a tapas dish or two for a snack, or they can come in for a full meal by ordering one of our entree options or a few of our tapas options. Our staff will also recommend wines to go with our dishes or recommend a dish to go with a certain wine.

EO: Do you know what is the most ordered wine or dish by customers at Wine Bar? Nelson: Our menu changes often, but we do have permanent dishes that will always be on the menu such as our Artisan Cheese Plate, Chicken and Waffle Sliders, and Erika’s Reuben Rolls that are the most popular to date.

Patton: With respect to wine, like our dishes, our wine selection changes often but to date, our most popular wines are La Crema Chardonnay, Meiomi Pinot Noir, and the Cline Cashmere GSM. Our specialty cocktails are also very popular, including our Pomegranate Margarita and Brandy AlNelson: We are so fortunate to have our exander. We have also sold a lot of Sweetexecutive chef John Burge at the Wine Bar. water Blue beer, which we have on tap.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, from his time as a chef in Napa The restaurant is at 401 S. Lamar.

Valley to his time as a wine consultant to Download the hottytoddy.com app!

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Gingerbread House Village

Dec. 4-18 Dec. 9

7:30 p.m.

Dec. 4 • 6-7:30 p.m. Opening Reception Dec. 13 • 1-4 p.m. Santa in the Village Dec. 17 • 10:30 a.m. Toddler/Preschool Story Time Dec. 18 • 3:30 p.m. Big Kid Story Time free and open to the public

Jingle Bell

ROCK Dec. 14

7:30 p.m.

Jan. 28

7:30 p.m.

TickeTs:

www.fordcenter.org

662.915.7411

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Bird is the Word Wingstop is latest entrant in wing-centric restaurant mix.

By Ethan Turner

There is a new destination for chicken wing lovers to visit in Oxford. Wingstop has arrived. Brought to Oxford by 2004 Ole Miss graduate John Albriton and his partner Tanner Berryhill, the new restaurant officially opened on October 2.

The chain was founded in Texas, but Albriton and Berryhill had a different type of wing spot in mind for Oxford. “We wanted a place that focused less on the bar aspect and more on the wings,” says Albriton. “So that’s why we brought Wingstop to Oxford.”

Located at 1522 West Jackson Avenue, Wingstop offers 11 different flavors for traditional wings, boneless wings and chicken strips, from the sweet Hawaiian flavor to savory lemon pepper to the incendiary Atomic flavor.

As for what differentiates Wingstop from other wing-centric venues, Albriton sees a clear difference.“I think the wing quality is better,” says Albriton. “We use fresh wings. We never freeze them. From the time we get the wings to when we serve them is the best way to do it.”

He also points to the crispiness of the wings as a differentiator. “The cooking process takes a little longer, but in the end it’s worth it,” says Albriton.

To accompany the wings, Wingstop offers a variety of side dishes. French fries (either regular, seasoned, or served with cheese), potato salad, bourbon baked beans, and or cole slaw are all on the menu.

Ethan Turner is a journalism student in the Meek School of Journalism &New Media.

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December DECEMBER 1 to 20

Winter Play Class

Powerhouse, Mon/Wed/Thurs 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 2

Mini Masters: Folk Art 3D Snakes University Museum, 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 3

Homeschool Art Class

Powerhouse, 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.

Aaron Carter w/ Guests Proud Larry’s at 9 p.m.

DECEMBER 4 to 7

Oxford Ballet Performs The Nutcracker Powerhouse at 7 p.m.

The Weeks w/ Apache Relay Proud Larry’s at 9 p.m.

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DECEMBER 6

Santa’s Work/Shop Family Activity Day

University Museum, Times TBD DECEMBER 9

The Mediaeval Babes – Of Kings and Angels Concert The Ford Center at 7:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 12 to 14

Holiday Art Market

Powerhouse (see OxfordArts.com for times)

Theatre Oxford Presents A Christmas Carol

Powerhouse at 5 p.m. (see OxfordArts.com for times) DECEMBER 14

Jingle Bell Rock The Ford Center at 7:30 p.m.

January

Mondays

Blind Pig Trivia Night 8:30 p.m.

Movie Night at Lamar Lounge 9:00 p.m.

Tuesdays

Lovepacks with Volunteer Oxford 9:00 a.m.

More than a Meal 5:00 p.m.

Tini Tuesday at Locals 9:00 p.m.

JANUARY 2

Fabulous Friday Art Camp Powerhouse, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

JANUARY 5

Marvelous Monday Art Camp Powerhouse, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesdays

Square Books Jr Story Time 10:00 a.m.

Karaoke with Steve King at Rooster’s

JANUARY 19

9:30–11:30 p.m.

Marvelous Monday Art Camp

Fridays

JANUARY 28

Library Story Time Habitat for Humanity

Powerhouse, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Anything Goes, National Broadway Tour

10:00 a.m.

The Ford Center at 7:30 p.m.

Umphrey’s McGee The Lyric Theatre

JANUARY 30 to FEBRUARY 1

Fiber Arts Festival Powerhouse

For up-to-date information on Oxford events as they are announced, visit HottyToddy.com’s online event calendar

LOCAL SITES Photo by Ole Miss Communications

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium The home of the Ole Miss Rebels Football team held about 42,000 until 2002, when the south end zone bleachers were replaced with a rounded bowl, luxury boxes, covered club seating, and additional seating for students and season ticket holders.

The Lyceum Square Books Located on the historic Oxford Square, Square Books is one of the world’s top independent bookstores. An early Fortune’s Ice Cream sign hangs over the entrance with a beautiful balcony perfect for reading.

Photo by Ole Miss Communications

In 1848, the Lyceum was the first building constructed on the University of Mississippi campus. It serves as both an academic and administrative center. Bullet holes remain in the columns from the riots when James Meredith became the first African-American to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

L.Q.C. Lamar House

Photo by Ole Miss Communications

The restored 1870 home of Mississippi’s leading statesman graces three acres at 616 North 14th. A National Historic Landmark, it holds exhibits on Lamar’s life during the Civil War era. A video details the 2008 restoration. Open Thurs-Sun 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Admission $5.00. Students free.

Rowan Oak William Faulkner’s home is open to the public Tues–Sat 10 a.m.–4 p.m. & Sun 1 p.m.–4 p.m.

A $5 fee per visitor is charged for house admission. Guided tours are available. Located at 916 Old Taylor Road.

Hear the inspirational story of the first black congregation to build a church in Oxford in 1867. Newly restored, the 1910 Burns Church now serves the community as a history museum and an events center at 710 E. Jackson.

Exhibits review African American life from Enslavement through the Civil Rights era. www.burns-belfry.com

Ammadelle An 1859 Italianate villa mansion designed by architect Calvert Vaux located at 637 North Lamar St. Private residence of the Tatum family.

The Oxford Conference Center Over 25,000 square feet accommodates banquet events for more than 650 people. 102 Ed Perry Boulevard.

Thacker Mountain Located South of Oxford off Old Taylor Road, Thacker Mountain is 571-ft above sea level with an abandoned fire tower at the top where one can enjoy the view of Oxford and Lafayette County. Thacker Mountain can be accessed by the Thacker Mountain Trail at the end of Coliseum Dr.

Faulkner’s Grave

Photo by William Fowler

William Faulkner is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery located on 16th Street. Generally recognized as one of the greatest writers of fiction during the 20th century, Faulkner is frequently toasted by visitors with a sip of bourbon at his grave site.

Photo by Ole Miss Communications

Swayze Field Home of the Ole Miss Rebels Baseball team for 25 years, Swayze Field is one of the finest baseball facilities in the Southeastern Conference. The famous right field student section is known for all-day tailgates with barbecues.

LOCAL SITES

Burns-Belfry Museum

LOCAL SITES Photo by Ole Miss Communications

The University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi, best known as Ole Miss, is a public, nationally recognized research university, founded in 1848. The main campus is in Oxford with four branches located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Theora Hamblett House

Walton-Young Historic House

Theora Hamblett was a self-taught primitive artist best known for her brilliantly colored tree, dream and vision paintings. Her former residence, now a private home, is located at 619 Van Buren Avenue.

The registered Mississippi Landmark was built in 1880

by Horace H. Walton, who owned a hardware store on the Oxford Square. The typical middle class home of the Victorian era is located at the corner of University Avenue and 5th Street.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church The church was built, following the designs of famed 19th century church architect Richard Upjohn, and organized in 1851. The building is the oldest religious structure in Oxford, having survived the burnings during the Civil War. The church is located on South 9th Street, just off the Square.

LOCAL SITES

The Barksdale-Isom House The Barksdale-Isom House was built in 1835 by Dr. Thomas Isom as his home, office, and apothecary. In 1995, the home was renovated into a beautiful bed-and-breakfast

by Susan Barksdale. Today, the house and its backyard are available for weddings and other events.

Cedar Oaks Built in 1859 by William Turner, Cedar Oaks is a Greek revival structure surviving a tumultuous past. Now used as a rental site for civic clubs, receptions, weddings, and tours. The historic home is located at 601 Murray Drive.

First Presbyterian Church Founded in 1837 by early settlers of Scottish descent, the First Presbyterian Church was build in 1861. The church has been home to many community leaders and three university chancellors: Waddel, Fulton, and Hume. The historic brick building is located on Van Buren Avenue, just off the Oxford Square.

Blues Archives

Thacker Mountain Radio

Located in the J.D. Williams Library sits the world’s most extensive collection of blues recordings, books, periodicals and photographs. Notable collections are The B.B. King Collection, The Kenneth Goldstein Folklore Collection and The Living Blues Archive Collection. Located at 1 Library Loop.

Oxford’s original live radio show features weekly author readings and a wide array of musical performances from around the area. The free show is taped and broadcast every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Off Square Books.

LOCAL SITES

Photo by Ole Miss Communications

The Lyric Theatre 1006 Van Buren Avenue has enjoyed a long life since its original construction in the 1800s as a livery stable once owned by William Faulkner’s family. In the 1920s the stable was converted into a theater and in 2007 the restored Lyric began operating as one of Oxford’s performance centers. The Lyric has hosted some 1,200 concerts featuring national artists.

Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts Visit the University of Mississippi’s state of the art facility featuring the 88,000-square-foot multi-event performance space. The Ford Center seats 1,200 in the main hall and offers dance and ballet studios, conference and office space, and a reception hall.

Located at 100 University Avenue.

Taylor Grocery and Community Taylor, as Faulkner put it, is a “postage stamp of native soil” that attracts visitors from around the world looking for Southern food, music, art and the bucolic lifestyle. The town’s centerpiece is Taylor Grocery, where catfish and hush puppies are menu staples. Located in an old store with walls covered in signatures from visitors, the restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday 5 p.m.– 9 p.m.

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LOCAL SITES

The Powerhouse Community Arts Center The Powerhouse Community Arts Center is a 1928 structure that once housed the Oxford Electric Company, and now operates as the center for Oxford’s Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. Located at 413 North 14th Street, the Powerhouse houses a diverse range of events, classes, workshops and community performance space. The facility is also available as a rental for special events.

Brandt Memory House

College Hill Church

Built in 1837 and standing just outside the gates of Ole Miss, this house was the home of John Faulkner, William’s brother. Today, Memory House is the home of the University of Mississippi Foundation and is often used for University events.

Built in 1853, the church is surrounded a cemetery that dates back to the date of construction. The church sanctuary has been maintained essentially original, except for the addition of modern conveniences.

Soccer/Softball Complex The soccer and softball complex on McElroy Drive provides two softball fields, two combination soccer/football fields, a pavilion and a playground.

Hank Aaron Complex The Hank Aaron Complex located behind the Oxford Parks Commission’s Activity Center on Price Street maintains three baseball fields, a batting cage, one pavilion, and one covered playground.

Bike and Pedestrian Trails Oxford has an extensive array of bike and pedestrian trails throughout the community. Maps of trails can be found inside City Hall in the Parks and Recreation Office or online at www.oxfordms.net.

LOCAL SITES

Sardis, Enid and Puskus Lakes Sardis Lake, located northeast of Oxford, and Enid Lake, located about 40 miles south off I-55, are large flood control lakes maintained by the Corps of Engineers. Puskus Lake is smaller, located on Hwy 30 West of Oxford.

Southside Gallery Southside Gallery sells and shows art on the Oxford Square. New exhibitions are held every month and artists’ receptions are hosted by the gallery. The gallery is open Tue– Sat 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Photo by Ole Miss Communications

Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library Oxford’s public library is one of Mississippi’s Regional Libraries offering a wide range of printed and digital resources for adults and children. Located at 401 Bramlett Boulevard and open Mon–Thurs 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri & Sat 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Sun 2 p.m.–5 p.m.

Golf in Oxford Oxford has three golf courses: The Country Club of Oxford, The Links and The Ole Miss Golf Course. The Country Club of Oxford, an 18-hole course, is located on Hwy 7 South at Grand Oaks while The Links, a nine-hole course, is located on Hwy 6 West at the entrance to The Links apartments. Ole Miss operates an 18-hole championship course located at 147 Golf Club Road.

Located at the intersection of Country Club and College Hill Roads, Patsy Lamar Park includes almost four miles of walking trails and Lake Patsy, a small lake where fishing is permitted for children and handicapped individuals.

Avent Park Photo by Oxford Park Commission

Located on Park Drive, Avent Park includes walking trails, four lighted tennis courts, a playground for children, and a lighted pavilion.

Oxford City Pool Located at 200 Washington Avenue, the Oxford City Pool boasts a 50-meter outdoor pool with newly renovated changing rooms, rest rooms and shower facilities. The pool is open Mon-Sat 1 p.m.-6 p.m. and Sun 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Oxford Studio Cinema

Oxford Commons Cinema

Malco Oxford Studio Cinema is a multi-screen venue at 111 Jackson Avenue West, across from the Ole Miss campus. First run movies, group activities and birthday parties are available. For more information call 662236-4962 or for movie show times call 662-236-3000.

Malco Commons is a multi-screen theatre and soon will include a 26-lane bowling alley (including VIP lanes), miniature golf, bumper cars, laser tag, and redemption games. Located on north side of Highway 7 at the Sisk Avenue exit.

LOCAL SITES

Pat Lamar Park

LOCAL SITES

Oxford Park Commission Activity Center The city of Oxford’s Activity Center located on the corner of Price Street and Molly Barr Road is home to two indoor basketball courts, a gymnastics room and several multipurpose rooms.

FNC Park Located on County Road 100, the park includes 75 acres of state-of-the-art sports facilities including five soccer fields, eight baseball fields, three softball fields, a BMX track, four concession stands and a trailhead pavilion.

Bailey’s Woods Trails Bailey’s Woods Trail links Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home, to the University of Mississippi Museum and campus. Stretching approximately 3,000 feet, the trail takes about 20 minutes to walk through. Bikes are not permitted. Stroll through the heavily wooded area as Faulkner once did.

Humane Society Dog Park The Oxford-Lafayette County Humane Society operates a facility on McElroy Drive, just east of the Oxford-University Airport.

Facilities include a dog park where Oxford residents and visitors are encouraged to exercise their pooches.

Photo by Oxford Park Commission

Oxford Skate Park Completed in 2006, the Oxford Skate Park provides a space for BMX, skateboarding and biker entertainment. The park also has a covered pavilion and playground located on Bramlett Boulevard, across from the Oxford-Lafayette Public Library.

LOCAL SITES

Photo by William Fowler

Tennis Courts Tennis courts located at Oxford’s Avent Park, The Activity Center, on the corner of Price Street and Molly Barr Road, and the University of Mississippi campus.

Clear Creek Bike Trails The Clear Creek Trail is a 20-minute drive to the Clear Creek boat landing at Sardis Lake. The trail can be ridden as a complete 13-mile loop, a smaller 3-mile beginner loop or an 8-mile beginner/ intermediate loop.

Local Color Local Color is the local ‘hippie place’ where one can find a variety of items such as insense, tapestries, tie-dyes and music posters. Stop by and say “Hello” to Willie, Local Color’s owner and resident.

Farmers’ Market A stationary market offering seasonal local produce, dairy, and meats. Located at 274 CR 101, the Farmers’ Market is open Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sun 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Photo by Hillary Houston Photo by Hillary Houston Photo by Oxford’s City Market

The University of Mississippi Museum The University Museum’s 20,000-plus object collection houses a wide range of ancient to modern treasures. Find Greek and Roman artifacts, scientific instruments, the collections of Seymour Lawrence and Theora Hamblett located at the intersection of University Avenue and 5th Street.

EXPERIENCE OXFORD ADVERTISERS

A Smile 4 U Family Dental 2311 W Jackson Ave Galleria Mall (662) 612-0063

Casa Mexicana Bar & Grill Mexican Cuisine 1908 W Jackson Ave (662) 236-3855

Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge

Castrol Premium Lube Express

New & Used Cars 2201 E University Ave (662) 234-8000 (888) 864-0073

Automotive Repair 1814 University Ave (662) 236-3696

Belk Ford/Oxford Toyota 447 Highway 6 West (662) 234-4661 (888) 340-3228

Big Bad Breakfast Breakfast, Lunch & Smokehouse 719 N Lamar Blvd (662) 236-2666

Bouré Upscale Family Dining 110 Courthouse Sq (662) 234-1968

Brooks Collection Estate Fine Jewelry Retail Jewelry 127 Courthouse Sq (662) 259-2887

Cambridge Station Apartments Apartment Living 801 Frontage Rd (662) 234-1801

Cannon Motors Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac 100 Thacker Loop (662) 234-2311

The Caramel Factory Retail & Gourmet Food 127 Lakewood Drive Batesville, MS (662) 563-9900

Cat Daddy’s Ole Miss & MS T-Shirts & Apparel 304 S Lamar Blvd (662) 236-2639

Downtown Abbe, Inc Event Venue 1 E Long St & Business 7 S Abbeville, Miss (662) 801-1304

Endurance Athletics Running Shoes, Clothing, Nutrition & Accessories 400 S Lamar Blvd (662) 380-5119

Express Computer Service Computer Repair 1501 W Jackson Ave, Ste. 103 (662) 236-5670

Chick-Fil-A

Faulkner Flats

Fast Cuisine 2307 W Jackson Ave (662) 232-8787

High End Apartment 2998 Old Taylor Rd (662) 234-4558

City Grocery

FNB of Oxford

Southern Cuisine 152 Courthouse Square (662) 232-8080

Banking 101 Courthouse Sq 2149 S Lamar Blvd 821 N Lamar Blvd 1113 W Jackson Ave (662) 234-2821

Reservations Recommended

C Spire Cellular and Retail 1608 W Jackson Ave (855) 277-4735

Culin-Arts Cooking and Entertaining 404 S 11th St (662) 638-3520

Deals Auto Repair Auto Services & Repairs 2211 University Ave (662) 281-4417

Delta Steak Company Steaks & Seafood 1007 College Hill Rd (662) 234-0130

Dr. Michael Perry Dental Services 2408 S Lamar, Suite 3 (662) 513-4619

Frock Fashions Fashionable Clothing, Gifts & Accessories 201 N Lamar Blvd (662) 234-1360

The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts Live Performance 351 University Ave (662) 915-2787

GNC Nutrition & Health Products 2214 W Jackson Ave (662) 234-5687

Tennis and Recreation Anderson Rd at Wellsgate (662) 380-5055

The Growler Craft Beer House 265 N Lamar Blvd, Ste Y (662) 638-0600

Guest Realty Real Estate 1721 University Ave (662) 234-5600

Gus’s Fried Chicken Restaurant 306 S Lamar (662) 638-3420

Hampton Inn Hotel Oxford West 110 Heritage Dr (662) 232-2442

Hampton Inn Hotel Oxford Conference Center Event Venue 103 Ed Perry Blvd (662) 234-5565

Hermitage Gardens of Oxford Assisted Living Facility 1488 Belk Blvd (662) 234-8244

Holiday Inn Express Lodging 112 Heritage Dr (662) 236-2500

Hollywood Feed

Indianola Fresh Market Meals and Seafood 2000 W Jackson Ave, Ste. C (662) 207-1313

Johnson’s Furniture Showroom Furniture & Mattresses 2128 W Jackson Ave (662) 234-7711

Kroger Food Stores Grocery/Deli/Bakery 2013 University Ave (662) 236-9956

Lamar Lounge Burgers & Specialty Drinks 1309 N Lamar Blvd (662) 513-6197

Lexington Pointe Apartments Apartment Living 2000 Lexington Pointe Dr (662) 281-0402

Locals Restaurant & Bar Upscale Southern Featuring Farm to Table 309 N Lamar Blvd (662) 234-9594

The Main Event Catering Catering Services 1005 N Lamar Blvd (662) 234-9300

McEwen’s Southern Steakhouse 1110 Van Buren Ave (662) 234-7003

Natural, Holistic Pet Food 2210 W Jackson Ave (662) 638-0435

Meek School of Journalism & New Media

Ice Core Fitness

Farley Hall University, MS (662) 915-7146

Gym and Fitness Center 1403 Van Burren Ave (662) 816-2673

Mimosa Flowers Gifts & Gourmet Flowers, Gifts & Quality Candles 1621 W Jackson Ave (662) 234-4440

Miss Behavin’ Make Rules, Break Rules, Fashion Rules 107 N Lamar Blvd (662) 513-4177

Monarch Boutique & Gifts Women’s Fashion 1007 N Lamar Blvd, Ste. 1 (662) 380-5133

My Michelle’s Gourmet Take-Out, Salad Bar & Catering 1308 N Lamar Blvd (662) 236-1512

Newk’s Salads, Sandwiches & California-Style Pizzas 1309 University Ave (662) 513-5303 2305 W Jackson Ave Galleria Mall (662) 238-2727

NWCC Community College 1310 Belk Blvd (662) 236-2023

No Time 2 Cook Prepared Foods www.notime2cook.com (662) 236-9456

NY Fashions Men, Women & Children Clothing and Accessories 1710 University Ave (662) 234-3182

Oby’s Restaurant & Deli Cajun Cuisine 1931 University Ave (662) 234-4530

EXPERIENCE OXFORD ADVERTISERS

Goose Creek Club

EXPERIENCE OXFORD ADVERTISERS

Old Taylor Place

Rebel Bookstore

Apartment Living 2112 Old Taylor Rd (662) 236-4300

Retail; New, Used and Rental Textbooks; Art Supplies 818 E Jackson Ave (662) 234-2903

Olive Juice Gifts & Mississippi Made Products 305 S Lamar Blvd (662) 259-2696

Oxford Commons Retail and Entertainment 112 Mulberry Lane Homes: (662) 236-0060 Retail: (662) 234-4043

Oxford Conference Center Meetings and Events 102 Ed Perry Blvd oxfordconferencecenter.com (662) 232-2367

Pick Thai Asian Cuisine 1101 Frontage Rd (662) 380-5428

Poppa’s Wine & Spirits High-End and Hard-To-Find Wine and Liquors 2305 W Jackson Ave Galleria Mall (662) 234-9779

Premier Properties Realtor Steve Vassallo (985) 852-7745 sovassallo@gmail.com

Pure Ryde Health and Fitness 319 N Lamar Blvd, Ste 102 (662) 638-3244

Raymond James & Associates Investments 1013 E Jackson Ave (662) 234-3414

Tom Davis State Farm Insurance Insurance Coverage 1015 University Ave (662) 236-2281

Rick’s Plumbing & Electric

Trezevant Realty Corporation

Building or Emergency Services 11 County Road 324 (662) 268-4024

Real Estate 2716 West Oxford Loop Suite 180 D (662) 832-5442

Sitters Mailing, Home, Hospital Assisted Living & Retirement Sitting Contact Jacqui Lear (662) 259-2401

Snackbar Raw Oyster Bar & Contemporary Cuisine 721 N Lamar Blvd (662) 236-6363

Sorella Boutique & Gifts Home Goods, Clothing, Monograms and More 1901 W Jackson Ave (662) 234-9434

South Depot Taco Shop Burritos, Quesadillas, Healthy Options 1004 Van Buren Ave (662) 234-7886

Star Package Store Wine and Spirits 308 E Jackson Ave (662) 234-3331

Sugar Magnolia Antique Mall Antique Collectibles 1919 University Ave (662) 234-6330

SWAG Society Clothing & Accessories 1905 University Ave (662) 234-2044

Tupelo Flea Market Multi-Vendor Retail Market 1879 Coley Road Tupelo, MS (662) 842-4442

University Inn Hotel and Facilities 1101 Frontage Road (662) 234-9500

Walker Realty Real Estate 609 Van Buren Ave (662) 281-0094

Wheeler Law Firm Attorneys at Law 1124 N Lamar Blvd (877) 281-4521

Wildlife Resolutions Pest Control 1685 Hwy 334 (662) 234-5544

The Wine Bar Wine and Dining 401 S Lamar Blvd (662) 238-3500

3 Chicks Inside Sugar Magnolia Antique Mall 1919 University Ave (662) 234-6330

107 Courthouse Sq (662) 236-1310

Lafayette County Detention Center 711 E Jackson Ave (662) 234-6421

Oxford City Hall Visitor Information Available inside City Hall 107 Courthouse Sq (662) 236-1310

Oxford Fire Department Fire Chief, Cary Sallis 658 N Lamar Blvd (662) 232-2418 (662) 232-2412 (662) 232-2413

Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society 413 McElroy Dr (662) 236-7631 (662) 236-7633

Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Lafayette County & Oxford’s Arts Agency 413 S 14th St (662) 236-6429 www.oxfordarts.com

U of M Museum

Kinard Hall Wing C, Floors 2 & 3 (662) 915-7234

Malco Theatre Oxford Studio Cinema 1111 W Jackson Ave (662) 236-4962

First Baptist Church of Oxford

Day & Night Walk-In Care 1487 Belk Blvd (662) 234-1090

U.S. Postal Service

University Police Department

440 N Lamar Blvd (662) 236-4265

Urgent Care Clinic of Oxford

Oxford Police Department

Plastic, Cans, Newspaper and Mixed Paper 719 Molly Barr Rd (662) 232-2745

United Way of Lafayette/Oxford/ University

Malco Theatre

The UPS Store

Recycling Drop Off

2535 W Jackson Ave (662) 238-2606

Exhibits Art & Historical Artifacts University Ave & 5th St (662) 915-7073

Businesses & Visitor Info 299 W Jackson Ave P.O. Box 147 (662) 234-4651 info@oxfordms.com

Chief of Police, Joey East 715 Molly Barr Rd (662) 232-2400

Office Depot

Mailing, Packaging & Delivery Services 1739 E University Ave (662) 236-3800

Stamps, Boxes, Mailing Services & Pick-Up 401 McElroy Dr (662) 234-5615 1 Student Union Dr (662) 234-1316 505 Jackson Ave (662) 281-8329

Baptist Memorial Hospital Emergency Services 24/7 2301 S Lamar Blvd (662) 232-8100

Oxford Commons 206 Commonwealth Blvd (662) 638-0365

800 Van Buren Ave (662) 234-3515

North Oxford Baptist Church 304 County Road 101 (662) 234-1101

Oxford-University United Methodist Church 424 South 10th St (662) 234-5278

First Presbyterian Church 924 Van Buren Ave (662) 234-1757

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 403 University Ave (662) 234-6073

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 113 S Ninth St (662) 234-1269

OXFORD RESOURCES

City of Oxford

O

ld Taylor place features newly remodeled apartments and amenities. With stainless steel appliances, covered patios or balconies, a bus stop right out front and biking and walking trails just steps away, it’s basically how home should feel.

We also have a covered pavilion with a fireplace, shuffleboard, horseshoes, basketball court AND MORE! Oh, and your pets are welcome too. Your comfort is our concern.

662-236-4300 Bring in this ad to receive a free application fee

Visit us online:

www.liveattaylorplaceapts.com