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THE MAGAZINE NATCHEZ
REGIONAL EDITOR
Stacy Graning
COMMUNITY EDITOR
Jan Griffey
CONTRIBUTERS
Stacy Graning
Jan Griffey
Ben Hillyer
Sabrina Robertson
MARKETING
Justin Clarkston
Lisa Sanders
DeNora Stewart
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Natchez the Magazine is published six times a year by Natchez Newspapers Inc.
A one-year subscription to Natchez the Magazine is $18. Single copies are available at select locations throughout the Natchez area. www.natchezthemagazine.com
Copyright 2023 by Natchez Newspapers, Inc.
IFROM THE EDITOR
It’s been more than 20 years since I had the opportunity to sit and visit with Tim McCary.
An hour into our wide-ranging conversation, I remembered how fascinating he is. We talked photography and motorcycle-riding, archaeology and artificial intelligence, history and, of course, food. I came away with a half a dozen story ideas and a rekindled friendship, as well as an appreciation for the creativity, effort and skill he poured into his wet-platestyled mixed media portraits of local motorcycle riders and their bikes.
As we talked about game dinners at his hunting lodge and riding the back roads in Southwest Mississippi, Tim stopped to talk about Church Hill Variety. “Have you been there yet?” he asked. “It’s terrific. They have hunters, people from the community, people from all over. It’s becoming a destination for people around here to go out there and enjoy a meal.”
Church Hill Variety is all the buzz in Natchez these days. Robert VanNewkirk and Angel Roberts have joined owners Tate Taylor and John Norris in the endeavor and have created a destination dining venue that draws farmers, hunters and, yes, even the occasional Hollywood star. It’s homey, eclectic and exciting, and that’s why we knew we had to feature the renaissance in this year’s Food Issue of Natchez the Magazine.
An appreciation for food and dining runs through our community as deep and as wide as the river below Natchez’s bluffs. So dedicating one issue each year to celebrating the people, places and dishes we love seems the least we can do.
In addition to getting to know Church Hill Variety, this year’s edition celebrates our beloved mudbugs – from crawfish boils to creative treats made from their tails; a local pastry chef-turned TV star, whose celebration pastries and cakes are stunning; and even a Natchez resident whose love for food has led him to competitions and recipe creation.
We’ve also started adding some new (or renewed) features to the magazine. The popular Get the Gear section returns starting this issue, with a showcase of the gear you need to up your dining game – from grills to ranges to cool tableware.
And John Grady Burns, another Natchez favorite and design expert, will be sharing his tips on setting the table and decorating for events. This issue, he encourages us to show our style through dishes, napkins and floral designs, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the remainder of the year.
Continuing the theme of revival, writer Jan Griffey takes us inside Chip and Clara Newman’s renovations at The Briars – home to one of the most stunning views of the Mississippi River.
And if you’re curious about those motorcyclist portraits by Tim McCary, we have a sneak peek for you inside as well.
There’s so much to discover. We hope you enjoy.
What to read next?
From creepy goth to the fantastical these Sci-fi books adult fiction books have it all.
Sir Terry Pratchett was the master of the funny and fantastical.
“A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories,” is a collection of newly unearthed short stories that includes an introduction by his friendNeil Gaiman. This collection also includes whimsical woodcut illustrations. Though none of these short stories are set in the Discword universe, they are nonetheless full of Pratchett’s satire, whimsy and wit. You will meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to create fire, as he learns about the highs and lows of evolving; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the proud evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit the small market town of Blackbury which is prone to unusual weather and has an otherworldly visitor; and join Kron on his dangerous journey through time and space beginning in the ancient city of Morpork. These stories will make you laugh and think and scrunch your nose at absurdity and for fans of Pratchett, they will bring a bit of nostalgia.
“House of Flame and Shadow,” is the latest from Sarah J. Maas. Brice Quinlan never thought she would see any world but Midgard, but now
she has and all she wants is to get back. All that she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends and her mate. Unfortunately, she is stranded in this strange new world and it will take every ounce of cunning and skill must return home. Bryce doesn’t know who she can trust, which makes her situation all the more harrowing. Hunt Athalar has been in deep trouble before, but this may be the deepest of all. He finds himself in the dungeons of the Asteri, stripped of his freedom. He had only a few brief months of everything he ever wanted and now he is unsure of Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help his love but until he can escape the Asteri, his hands are tied.
T. Kingfisher delivers a new gothic tale set in a cold, silent forest in, "What Feasts at Night."
After surviving a terrifying ordeal at Usher Manor, Alex Easton feels as if they survived a war. Although craving only rest, routine and sunshine, Alex, returns to the family hunting lodge in the deep cold, damp forests of Gallacia – Alex’s home country. Usually, peace and relaxation can be found even in the coldest and dampest of Gallacia’s autumns, but when Alex arrives at the lodge, there is only the disarray of the lodge, a dead caretaker and an eerie silence from the surrounding forest. The locals whisper about a breath-stealing monster from folklore that has taken over Alex’s home. Though Alex doesn’t put much stock in the local superstitions, there is undeniably something strange in the Easton home and Alex’s dreams.
The latest from the undeniable master of creepy thrillers, Dean R. Koontz, is titled, “The Bad Weather Friend.” Benny Catspaw has a continuously cheery demeanor, but he is soon tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancé and even his favorite chair.
He is not paranoid, someone is definitely out to get him, but Benny doesn’t know who or why. He then receives an inheritance from an unknown uncle: a giant crate and a video message where his uncle promises that all will be well in time. What’s in the crate is even more perplexing. Inside is a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike. Spike’s mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. He’ll find Benny’s enemies and he’ll deal with them. This would be more satisfying if Spike weren’t so menacing a presence who deploys terrifying methods of intimidation. Along with Spike and a young waitress-cum-PI-in-training, Benny is plunged into a harrowing, frenzied adventure that a guy like him could never fathom.
“Prophet Song,” by Paul Lynch delivers a scary and shocking look at a country slipping into authoritarianism as well as a picture of a mother’s fight to hold her family together. Eilish Stack is a scientist and mother-of-four living in Dublin. One dark, wet evening she opens the door to find two officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police on her doorstep. They are there to interrogate her husband, a trade unionist. Ireland seems to be falling apart under the tight grip of a tyrannical government. Eilish’s life that she loves falls apart around her and she must learn to deal with the dystopia that is forming in its place. How far will she go to save her family? What or who is she willing to leave behind?
Check with the Judge George W. Armstrong Library and the Concordia Parish Library for these titles.
MINT JULEPS AND MORE
There’s nothing like an iconic drink, sipped on a porch in a silverplate tumbler.
Consign & Design $48 each
Get the
Gear
Whether you’re setting a festive table for dinner guests or looking to up your backyard grilling game, local shops throughout the Miss-Lou have just the right item.
OWN YOUR TRUTH
These Sassy Talkin tea towels can say it all and are perfect for a hostess gift or a touch of fun in your kitchen.
One of a Kind. $12
FUN FOR THE GIRLS
Who doesn’t love a pink and yellow plate for all those picnics and tea parties? This Southern Living earthenware hits
Consign & Design $15 per set
FANCY A CUPPA?
This Simplex whistling tea kettle by Bloomer & Newton is considered the best in the world by some experts. Franklin St. Relics $250
KEEPING COOL
This 60-quart LSU branded rolling cooler can keep everything chilled and ready to go for outdoor gatherings.
Stines $199
SEAFOOD DELIGHT
place setting is easy
placemats by Juliska and coordinating rattan napkin
favorite flatware and dishes.
Nest Placemats, $65
This Ca C’est Bon Platter is the perfect vessel for a seafood pasta or similar dish.
Bless This Mess $40
FUNCTION AND FORM
This ZLINE 36 inch 5.2 cubic foot, sixburner gas range with a convention gas oven is fit for a chef and a stunning addition to any kitchen.
Appliances & More.
$2,999.96
OLIVE LOVE
Infused olive oils and vinegars are the perfect addition for spring salads or one-of-a-kind sauces.
NOM $19
M-I-CROOKED
This Totally Bamboo cutting board is a fun nod to the state we love and makes a terrific gift or conversation starter at any gathering.
Darby’s. $39.95
SIPPING WITH STYLE
These candy colored dot glasses are a fun addition to your tabletop.
A Gallerie $48
BEHIND THE CAMERA AND THE BIKE
STORY BY STACY GRANING
PHOTOS BY LEON HOLLIS, T.G. MCCARY
NATCHEZ – T.G. McCary fondly remembers his first bike. “A ‘Sears’ three-and-a-half horsepower mini bike. White with blue “Sears” written on the side of it.”
Growing up in Lafayette County in the 1960s and ‘70s, McCary learned to ride with his father and cousins – all avid motorcyclists. “My dad was a professor at Ole Miss, and when he would come home after work we’d just jump on these hot mini bikes and we’d go all through the back roads in Lafayette County.”
Those experiences sparked a lifelong passion for riding and a deep bond between father and son. And when McCary was in his 30s – and his father in his late 60s pair took a trip to North Carolina to ride the legendary Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile route with 318 turns. “It’s a mecca of rides in the United States,” McCary said. “Let’s put it this way: if the curves were any tighter, you could read your license plate.”
Today, the award-winning photographer rides a Royal Enfield, a bike modeled in the classic style of the company that has produced motorcycles since 1901. Originally an English company, Royal Enfield is known for developing “a small, very portable motorcycle called the Flying Flea,” he said. “It was actually a paratroopers’ motorcycle. They would throw it out with its own parachute behind enemy lines” during WWII.
Cool history aside, McCary joked that he was looking for something “that had a classic vibe to it that an old guy could ride and not get terribly hurt.” He found the perfect bike in New Orleans in July 2023 and has since put 5,000 miles on it, riding the Natchez Trace and its spurs as well as through Church Hill.
It was during one of those “wind therapy” sessions that he landed upon an idea that marries his two passions – riding and photography – to create a stunning new exhibit of mixed-media portraits.
“I really like old photographic processes,” he said. “And one of
ARTIST
Portrait subjects include, far left, Bernard Whatley and Carol Whittington; above, Chris Tate; and at right, Stephen Guido and Justin Stoll.
ARTIST
my favorite is called wet-plate collodion. Developed in the 1850s, it is one of the first processes that actually produced a negative.
“With the daguerreotypes and the tin-types from the Civil War, what you saw and what you got was the actual image made inside the camera. So, there’s no way of duplicating the image,” McCary said. “With the wet-plate technique, it allowed you to produce a negative or a positive … just like modern film could do.
“But the cool thing about it is that it’s still a very primitive technique because when the photographer went out, like on the battlefield or to photograph someone in their home he had to take his darkroom with him. He had to take that plate, coat it with photosensitive material, load it into the camera, make the exposure, and get back to the darkroom and then process it before drying. So he had about 15 minutes for the entire process.”
The result of all that effort was an image that McCary could describe only as beautiful. “The image quality is luminous … it’s mystical. But it was quite labor intensive.”
McCary sought to recreate the
look of those wet-plate colloidal images using digital photography, printing his image onto a clear plate that had been scratched and buffed to add texture. Lampback acrylic paint added patina. The subjects provided the emotional impact.
“I was researching vintage looking bikes, also, a lot of vintage bike photographs came up in my searches. And I was like, ‘That is so cool,’” he said. “There’s something in there for me to use for a creative outlet … taking a modern-day technique then blending it and making it kind of a tribute to wet plate. How cool would that be?”
He started experimenting with portraits and eventually migrated
to bikers and their bikes. “It took 3,000 miles” to refine the process, he said.
“Bruce Laird was actually my first subject when I was thinking about putting this exhibit together,” McCary said. “And how Andre (Farrish) let him inside the (Under the Hill) Saloon with a motorcycle, I don’t know. Maybe Bruce is a great patron.”
At first, McCary worried about finding enough subjects for an exhibit. “I wondered how popular it would be,” he said. “I mean, ‘am I going to go into this exhibit images for this one-man show?’”
But word spread quickly among the Miss-Lou motorcycle community. “And suddenly it just
blew up. So I went from, ‘am I going to have enough’ to ‘am I going to have enough room.’”
The result is “Life Behind Bars: Motorcylists and Their Bikes,” an exhibit on display at Arts Natchez Gallery through March. The 18 portraits capture the diversity of the riders and their spirit of the biking community in luminous, stunning portraits. For McCary, the exhibit also helped rekindle his childhood love of riding.
“You know, my Dad road into his mid-80s. He loved to ride the Trace and every time he would start down State Street and go past Laird’s hair salon he would beep his horn,” McCary said. “Tammy (Laird) told me one day, ‘I sure miss your dad’s horn.’ I’ve taken up the mantle now. Every time I go by I honk … she and Bruce hear it and I guess it brings some good memories for everybody.”
Timothy G. McCary is an award-winning portrait photographer and artist based in Natchez. Find more on his work at tgmccary.com. In addition to the current show, he maintains a permanent exhibit at Arts Natchez Gallery. To learn more about Arts Natchez, go to artsnatchez.com.
HOME AND GARDEN
Chip and Clara Newman pose on the steps of The Briars
Coming
Home
Newmans bringing The Briars back to life
NATCHEZ — Chip and Clara Newman were back in Natchez, where Chip grew up, for the 2022 Great River Balloon Festival when they both noticed an attitude and buzz around the city they had not felt in many years.
The two live in Flora, but enjoy visiting Natchez often. They were walking around the balloon festival grounds, enjoying the activities, talking to old friends and meeting new ones.
“I looked at Clara and told her, ‘Something special is going on here. We need to get in on this. And now is the time to do it,’ ” Newman said.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Chip Newman — Benjamin Garland Newman III — grew up in Natchez, the son of the late Benjamin Garland “Spike” Newman Jr. and the late Mignon Virginia “Ginger” Henderson Newman.
Spike ran a successful Allstate Insurance business and bought real estate and managed those properties. Ginger was a homemaker and a devoted member of the Pilgrimage Garden Club as well as other civic groups and served as a hostess at
AND GARDEN
STORY BY JAN GRIFFEY
PHOTOS BY JAN GRIFFEY
HOME AND GARDEN
Dunleith and Monmouth for many years. All knew Ginger for her stunning beauty, grace and kindness. Spike was known for his business acumen and as a man of integrity in everything he did.
Ginger Newman died on Nov. 22, 2019, at age 79. So devoted was Spike Newman to his wife, he died at age 80 on Dec. 1, 2019, less than two weeks after Ginger.
The two spent no more than a week apart during their entire 59-year marriage, Chip Newman said. “His faithfulness to her was something really admirable,” he said.
Chip graduated from South Natchez-Adams High School and went to college at the University of Southern Mississippi. He moved to Jackson in 1989 and in early 1990, met the former Clara Aycock, who is from the north Mississippi town of Prairie.
Chip and Clara were married and daughter Virginia was a young child when Spike and Ginger bought the Linton House at 304 N. Commerce St. from the Historic Natchez Foundation.
The Linton House, built around 1810 and enlarged and remodeled in around 1830, was converted to a duplex in the late 19th century and was remodeled in the early 20th century to become a 12-unit apartment building. It suffered a fire on June 5, 1986, and was acquired by the Historic Natchez Foundation in November of that year. The Foundation restored the exterior before selling the house to Ginger and Spike Newman, who subsequently completed the restoration.
The renovation was an extensive one, and the Newmans won the 1996 Ethel and George Kelly Award for historic preservation from the Historic Natchez Foundation.
Fast-forward 27 years. In January 2024, Chip and Clara Newman earned the 2023 Ethel and George Kelly Award for Historic Preservation for the work they have done renovating The Briars.
“It means a lot to me that we won the same award my parents did. I am very proud of that,” Chip said.
THE BRIARS
Chip became interested in business at a young age, thanks to his father. While his buddies would take off in the woods to explore, Chip was with his father and his father’s business partners, listening and learning.
Chip put to good use that knowledge gleaned from his father and today is a successful real estate owner and commercial real estate developer.
Soon after that fateful balloon festival, Chip began looking for properties in Natchez and learned The Briars was available. He made an offer on the property the very day he saw it with Natchez Realtor Dianne Brown.
“I thought he was insane,” Clara said. “I knew he wanted to buy something here, but I thought it would be just a house, but this is just so much.”
The property consists of five buildings in addition to The Briars, two swimming pools and 19 acres, all situated on the highest bluff along the Mississippi River from its mouth to its source. The Briars’ history is arguably the most significant in Natchez. It was built in 1818 by architect Levi Weeks. On Feb. 26, 1846, in the home’s front parlor, Jefferson Davis, who was to become president of the Confederacy, married Varina Howell. Howell’s family leased The Briars.
Ever the businessman, Chip acquired the property from the financial institution who owned it, thanks to a bad real estate loan it made.
“The deal was right. Everything was right. I knew what it was going to take to get it in shape. And it’s taken a lot of money. But I’m still way under the money in terms of what it’s worth. I could double my money on it. But that’s not why I bought it,” Chip said.
Renovating The Briars has also allowed Chip to partake in one of his passions, which is searching for and buying antiques.
The Briars came with no furnishings. In a year, he has searched the world — literally — and bought period antiques now housed in The Briars.
“Another thing that has really worked in my favor is the prices on really good antiques, period furniture, have really gone down. There just is not much demand for it. The prices are actually affordable now. A bed that 10 years ago would have sold for $10,000 is selling for $4,000,” Chip said.
He even took a chance and bid on authentic Zuber wallpaper in the Scenes of America pattern in an online auction, which now hangs in the foyer of The Briars.
A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS
“Chip and I have never built or renovated a house. Anything we’ve ever bought has been move-in ready. Of course, we’ve had to tweak things, but nothing major,” Clara said.
She has been involved with every aspect of the renovation, including the kitchen, which is under way.
“I did not want this to be a commercial kitchen, which is what it had,” she said. “I want it to be pretty. Some day, this will again be someone’s home.”
Clara is working with Dallas architect William Bradley, who also owns a house in Natchez.
“He is helping me do the kitchen and the bathrooms.”
The two said they would have been lost without help from friends, who have given advice and provided great contacts during the process of getting The Briars ready in time to be on the Pilgrimage Garden Club’s Spring Pilgrimage tour this year.
“Brad LeMay has been a huge help, as has Doug Mauro and Richard Branyan. Everyone has helped so much,” Clara said.
LeMay, a Natchez cardiologist, and his wife,
HOME AND GARDEN
Dorie, recently bought and renovated the antebellum home Oakland. Mauro and his partner Donald McGlynn renovated Oak Hill and operate it as one of the highest-rated bed and breakfasts in the nation. Branyan owns Lower Lodge Antiques and Conservation and is known nationally for the work he does restoring and conserving antiques.
Chip and Clara have contracted the work at The Briars themselves and said one of their best decisions has been hiring Dwane Hawkins, a carpenter who worked for many years for his father, John Henry Hawkins, a highlyregarded Natchez carpenter.
“With all the money we’ve spent, it’s nice now that we can see that we have something from it,” she said. Clara has researched the home’s history and is leading tours through The Briars during Pilgrimage.
Daughter Virginia, though Chip and Clara say has warmed to the idea of The Briars, was less than enthusiastic at the start.
Virginia graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She lives and works in Charleston, but will soon be headed to graduate school.
“When we brought her up here after we purchased it — of course nothing had been done to it yet — we took her around and showed her all of it. When we got back to the car, Chip asked her something like, ‘Well, Virginia, what do you think?’ Her response was, ‘The minute y’all die, I’m selling every bit of this.’ ”
SETTING THE TABLE IN
STYLE
STACY GRANING
hen it comes to setting the table for spring, the sky’s the limit.
So says John Grady Burns, the Natchez-based acclaimed
“The sky’s the limit as long as it fits your tastes,” Burns said. “That’s important to remember when you’re doing place settings.”
Burns excels in the art of setting an inviting table – whether for a formal meal or casual gathering of friends – and he said knowing the rules is as important as knowing when to
“There are rules for more formal, more traditional events,” he said. “And that’s important because tradition has its place. But it’s also nice to step out and give the table a more personal touch.”
Hosts today are less afraid of bending those rules than ever, mixing textures, patterns and color to create a custom table-setting that evokes the theme and atmosphere of the event. “Take flatware, for example,” Burns said. “A lot of people are even starting to mix a dinner fork in one pattern, a salad fork in another.”
And, of course, mixing color and patterns is always a go-to option.
“If it’s not a holiday or themed party, color can be your predominant factor,” he said, using a mix of the Tobacco Leaf and Lace patterns from Mottahedeh as an example of a vibrant pink and blue themed table setting.
“And of course, the placement is a personal choice,” he said. “But if you want to add more texture or color, you have so many options – wicker, wood, textured patterns.”
Napkins can be the subtle supporting element or the star of the show, depending on your preference. “True cloth napkins cannot be beat – cotton or linen, as opposed to polyester or similar fabrics,” he said. Not only are cotton and linen napkins an environmentally friendly option, they are an investment that can be used for years to come. And as younger hosts have discovered, sourcing vintage napkins from estate sales and vintage shops can be a fun
When it comes to florals and tabletop decorations, Burns shares his wisdom as well. “You can use permanent botanicals or fresh flowers, green plants as well as blooms, depending on the look you want,” he said. Burns is known for his orchids and often incorporates them into tabletop or buffet decorations. Simple stems – such as brightly colored tulips – can be
“But my favorite thing to do is foraging,” he said. “I love it to add to or
SETTING THE TABLE
SETTING THE TABLE
enhance whatever blooms you have because we have some much plant material available, especially in the spring. We have azaleas, camellias, forsythia, spirea and of course the roses are beginning to bloom.”
Proper processing is key to getting the best from foraged and fresh flowers or plant materials. “It’s best to cut in the early morning or late afternoon and the sooner you get them in water, the better,” he said. “Let them drink for several hours –even overnight if you can –before you actually use them.”
The exception are bulb flowers, which do not need a pre-soak.
“If you don’t have a plant preservative, one of the easiest things to do is mix a capful of bleach per gallon of water,” he said. “That purifies the water and cuts down on the bacteria, so flowers can last. And it helps you clean that container later.”
When making an arrangement, height is not a concern for placement on a buffet. “But if you’re planning a seated meal, the best way to figure out if your arrangement is the proper height is to place your elbow on the table and bend your wrist to a 90-degree angle,” Burns said. “If the mass of your arrangement is below your wrist, you should be able to have a conversation over it.”
And don’t overlook the lighting. Burns recommends using low candle heights –think votives or candles floating in coupe glasses – staggered along the table to create a flattering, warm low light on diners.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to create an inviting and welcoming environment for your guests and a style that reflects your tastes, Burns said.
CRAWFISH
Camaraderie
and Crawfish
STORY BY SABRINA ROBERTSON PHOTOS SUBMITTED
It’s not quite a spring season in the Miss-Lou without seasoned crawfish.
Cooking crawfish is a lot like cooking jambalaya, said Thomas Perry, a Natchez resident whose wife Danielle Perry owns Pinch and Peel Crawfish.
“There’s a million different ways to boil crawfish and everyone thinks their way is the best,” he said. “Nobody does it the same.”
Thomas Perry and Greg Thompson are neighbors, good friends and fellow mudbug lovers.
But each has his own way of cooking the pinching southern delicacies.
Some prefer a technique called “dusting” where they sprinkle seasoning over the top of cooked crawfish and seal it in an ice chest to soak in the flavor.
However, Perry said this technique sets his lips on fire.
“Once that happens, I’m done,” he said.
Perry and Thompson have been cooking crawfish since their early teens.
Thompson said he was the designated crawfish cook for the 2002 Class Senior Skip Day at ACCS.
They use the traditional way of boiling crawfish with the seasonings in the pot, allowing them to add in whatever vegetables they please to accompany crawfish as the main dish.
For Thompson, he almost always boils brussels sprouts with his crawfish, but only for the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.
“Any longer than that and they’ll turn into nothing,” he said.
Perry often does asparagus. He will sometimes toss in a whole can of corn or green beans — still in the can with a
few holes poked in it so that the juices can get in.
However, vegetables will get “ridiculously hot” in the can, he cautioned.
“Really, you can do it with anything. You can do a whole sweet potato. Knock the ends off and throw it in the pot. There is no limit to what you can put in.”
WHEN IT’S TIME TO BOIL
Crawfish season begins as early as February, though some wait until Mardi Gras season or Easter weekend for the first boil.
Thompson said if he’s not working offshore, he and his wife Meggie will always celebrate her birthday on April 24 with a boil.
Perry said, “On a good year I start Easter weekend and then I’m lining up boiling parties every weekend almost until end of June.”
Crawfish love wet mud where they burrow. It’s a good year when it isn’t too hot and dry or there isn’t a hard freeze in the winter, both of which nearly devastated the southern crawfish harvest this year.
Thompson said he cooks around four sacks of crawfish at a time to feed 20 to 25 people, mostly his friends and family. He usually adds deer sausage, fresh shrimp if available, eggs, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, corn and some brussels sprouts with one four and one-half pound bag of Louisiana Crab Boil per sack of crawfish. He also uses a half box of regular table salt.
“Something about adding that salt gives it more flavor,” Thompson said.
Perry, on the other hand, prefers his crawfish mild and less salty.
“The older I get the less salt I want,” he said. “I like it medium heat. I like to enjoy mine.”
He keeps a bottle of liquid crab boil handy for those who like a little more kick.
“About six ounces per bag” does the trick, he said.
One large sack feeds about five people on average, he said.
“But if you have a lot of big eaters, knock it down to three or four per sack. I always buy more than I need.”
In addition to asparagus, onions, corn, potatoes and mushrooms — “My wife would murder me if I don’t put mushrooms in there,”— Perry said he also likes to add in lemon, oranges, and he goes heavy on the garlic.
If there are a lot of kids around, he’ll sometimes toss in a bag of Li’l Smokie sausages.
TIPS TO A PERFECT BOIL
Some people will “purge” their crawfish with salt water before boiling them.
Thompson said he only does this if they seem very dirty.
“Otherwise, I just rinse and strain them and then its straight to the pot,” he said.
Both he and Perry bring their water to a rolling boil first, then add the crawfish once its boiling. The crawfish cool the water down, so it must then be brought back to rolling boil. Once the crawfish are boiling, Thompson cuts off the heat after about two minutes and lets them soak in the seasoned water for 20 minutes
CRAWFISH
The time Perry turns the heat off depends on how early it is in the season, he said.
“When they’re soft early in the season, you can boil them for too long. Small and soft, get them to the texture you want and then kill the heat. They may go three and one-half minutes instead of five.”
Perry cooks all his vegetables before his crawfish, “Because the vegetables stay hot longer than the crawfish,” he said.
Thompson adds his vegetables last while the crawfish are soaking. To let a hard-boiled egg take on the flavor, Thompson said to first boil the egg and then crack the shell open and put the cracked egg back in the seasoned water to soak.
Another trick is to dump a bag of ice into the water at the end of the boil to “shock it.”
“It shocks the water to cool it down really fast and makes it draw the seasoning in,” Perry said.
Thompson said his preferred crawfish are not too large and not too dark in color.
“I like them clean and not dark, dark red. The lighter color are always tender and easier to peel,” he said. “Medium-sized is my favorite with maybe a few big ones scattered throughout the sack.
It’s also best to make sure the crawfish are alive and not dead or have an odor.
That could mean they’re rotting, he said.
“I’ve bought some that were half dead and rotten,” he said. “Always live to boil and rinse them first and make sure that they don’t stink.”
Thompson also cautioned against boiling the crawfish for too long.
“Taking too long makes them harder to peel,” he said.
Besides eating, the best part of a crawfish boil is “the camaraderie of it,” Thompson said.
“You got to have a beer with it and good company,” he said.
Perry agreed.
“Just hanging out, shooting the breeze with friends and family,” he said. “That’s why we have get togethers, just to hang out. The cooking is extra.”
MOLLY MANNING
Sweet
rewards
Molly Manning Robertson finds success, happiness in the kitchen
STORY BY STACY GRANING
PHOTOS BY BEN HILLYER
Much like the sugar she spins into tasty confections, Molly Manning Robertson knows pressure and heat can create something surprising, even delightful.
Her life and her career are her testament: A stroke, a global pandemic and a run on a nationally televised baking competition are all parts of the process that have worked together to bring Robertson to the sweet spot she enjoys today.
The 37-year-old Natchez-based chef didn’t come to this point easily.
As a child in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Robertson loved baking with her grandmother and being in the kitchen. She longed to pursue a culinary career. “My mom was like, ‘Molly, we’re not going to send you to culinary school. Go to Ole Miss and do something there.’”
So she did, earning a degree in marketing and communications. “I wanted to be in advertising, but I graduated at the end of 2008, and that was a terrible time for marketing and advertising.”
Instead, Robertson remained in Oxford, continuing her work at Emileigh’s, a popular bakery that has since closed. “I started off as their baker and eventually moved to head cake decorator and baker.” Two years later, she was headed to The French Pastry School in Chicago. “It was perfect. It was only a six-month program, which was what I wanted. I already had a four-year degree and didn’t want to go back to school that long,” she said.
Classes began in January 2011. Robertson had a stroke on March 1. “I had to stop the program,” she said. “I was in the regular hospital for two to three weeks, then in the rehab hospital for a month … I had to learn to walk again, how to use my left arm again.”
Thankfully, she said, the stroke happened while she was in Chicago, which gave her access to world-class rehabilitation and medical services.
“I was able to start back (in the culinary program) in July, and by the end of the summer I was feeling more confident.”
After completing the school’s program, Robertson decided to take part in its unpaid internship opportunity.
MOLLY MANNING
MOLLY MANNING
Molly Manning’s kitchen ingredients are not measured in teaspoons and quarter-cups. Manning cracks eggs by the dozen and makes icing from large bags of sugar and blocks of butter. Because of the large quantities necessary, Manning converts some of her favorite recipes and writes them down on restaurant guest tickets and other slips of paper. And when she is finished making her cookies and cakes, boxes of treats cover every inch of her dining room table and other available surfaces.
After that, she found at job at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago. “It was a great learning experience,” she said. “They didn’t have an executive chef at the time, so when the sous chef had days off, because I had culinary training, she trained me to run the kitchen for her … eventually they put me in charge of the pastry station for the entire hotel.”
On the quest to continue learning, Robertson moved to the Langham Hotel, where she found culinary inspiration and struggled with the long hours and work schedule. “I would still be living in Chicago today, but that type of job didn’t allow me time for my life … I couldn’t even go home for the holidays. The first Christmas I missed, oh my Lord, it was snowing and beautiful,” she recalled. “I got up in the morning and walked to work in the snow, crying the whole way.”
In Spring 2016, Robertson’s sister, Julie, convinced the chef to move south to Natchez where Julie and her new husband, Forrest Johnson, made their home. The transition was a bit of a culture shock for Robertson’s then-boyfriend.
But thanks to introductions from her sister and the busy social calendars of Natchez, Robertson soon found her niche, catering for Mardi Gras and Pilgrimage events, baking custom cookies, cakes and treats, and of course, creating the stunning wedding and celebration cakes that have become her hallmark.
In 2017, she had another health crisis, followed by her boyfriend’s marriage proposal. Soon, she owned a building on Main Street and was considering a store front –maybe something that incorporated French pastries, breads and more – but then the COVID pandemic hit. “And I knew God was saying ‘stop,
stop, stop.’”
Instead, Manning found new paths and challenges. She continued to grow her home-based confectionary catering business. In 2023, she was one of 12 contestants in the Food Network’s nationally televised Spring Baking Championship.
“I probably couldn’t have done the show if I had a shop,” she said. “I was gone for a month filming, and I couldn’t have been away that long.”
The show once again pushed Robertson outside her comfort zone, challenge her to test her skills against other bakers. “I learned that because I’m used to working from home, by myself, I’m way more organized and able to work fast and efficiently.”
The show brought national attention and exponential growth in her social media following. It has opened the door for future collaborations and projects and given Robertson affirmation that her path is the right one, for now.
“I do have so much freedom right now,” she said. Her wedding cakes have earned her statewide and regional awards, and her celebration cakes continue to expand her creativity and artistic side. New cookie decorating classes at Dunleith and Smoots have been wildly popular. And she’s having fun in the kitchen, where no two days or projects are the same..
“Ann Paradise has a book club, and when it’s her time to host she always wants breakfast stuff – coffee cakes, muffins, you know, because the club meets in the mornings,” Robertson said. “Last month, they were reading a book by a English author, so we did Victoria sponge, cakes and scones …
“I don’t get a chance to make scones often, but I can … and it was fun.”
‘IT’S A HAPPY PLACE’
From hearty fare to gourmet treats, Church Hill Variety brings new life to community
STORY BY JAN GRIFFEY
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
CHURCH HILL — Church Hill Variety, the new funky-chic-downhome convenience store and restaurant, isn’t what anyone expected it to be. Turns out, it’s exactly what everyone wants.
NECESSITY
IS A MOTHER
Church Hill residents Tate Taylor and John Norris planned to open a high-end restaurant in
the building they own at 13411 River Road, which now holds Church Hill Variety. In fact, the place was almost ready to go, down to having purchased the silverware.
However, as it did most things, COVID threw a dagger into those plans. Church Hill Variety sat vacant, waiting for its time.
About a year ago, along came husband and wife Robert VanNewkirk and Angel Roberts.
Will Brown, Angela Davis and Angel Roberts.
The couple, after visiting with longtime friends Taylor and Norris over the last dozen or so years, fell in love with Church Hill, too.
Robert and Angel bought The Cedars and moved to Church Hill from Charleston, S.C.
The two have perfected the art of reinventing their careers. They met while working on a movie that was filming in New Mexico.
“We both had been in the film business, but we didn’t know each other,” VanNewkirk said. He did art direction and production design. She did costumes. In fact, Angel was in charge of costume design on That 70s Show for its entire eight-year run.
They’ve been together for 26 years and have been married for almost that long, and have three adult children.
“We lived in California, but when That 70s Show ended, Angel thought she would never find anything else as fun or that would give her as flexible a schedule as that job did. It was very family friendly. Sometimes in the movie business you have to work so many hours and be away from home for weeks and weeks at a time,” Robert said.
They moved their family to Charleston, which they thought would be a good place to raise their kids.
“I had always played sports and coached sports. When we got to Charleson, I started a gym in my garage. Angel started a dance
program at the local elementary school. Both grew into successful businesses,” he said.
The two own a building in Charleston and their two businesses — Discover Health and Fitness and Peace Love and HipHop are located side by side.
With the help of dedicated staffers, they are able to run their businesses from afar.
“We are able to be here most of the time,” Robert said.
Angel and Tate Taylor were roommates in California when both were starting out.
“We have been friends for a long, long time. When he moved here, we started visiting. We loved it so much here in the country, we would talk about one day having a place in Mississippi,” Robert said.
The two found themselves with grown children and in stable places in their businesses.
“We thought it was time to take on a new challenge,” he said. “We always talked about finding places near each other and growing old together, taking care of each other when we get old. That’s what we are doing.”
At The Cedars, they hope to create a place to house corporate retreats for any industry but particularly for those who thrive on creativity like in the film and music business.
“We would rent the whole property and people could bring teams here for one or two weeks at a time. That’s too much house for just
the two of us to live in. We want to have it for when our family comes and goes. We have brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and we want to all be able to gather there, but that property is perfect for groups of people,” Robert said.
The two also teamed up with Tate and John to bring the Church Hill Variety vision they shared to life.
BABY STEPS
“We have always started small in any business of ours. I started my gym in my garage. Angel started her dance program in a multi-purpose room in a school. The idea with Church Hill Variety was more than trying to decide what we want to see, we wanted to see what people wanted here,” he said. “Our food is really delicious and it’s homemade, but it’s simple. We make the stuff we know how to make.”
Church Hill Variety is open seven days a week — Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The freshly brewed coffee and breakfast items like sausage, egg and cheese biscuits are available in the mornings and the lunch menu includes favorites like hot dogs, chili, pulled pork or chicken sandwiches and pizza.
“We are making the stuff we know how to
make. The pulled pork is Tate’s recipe. He loves food and is a great cook,” Robert said. “We are taking things very slowly. We recently added a burger night and have live music on Fridays. If it takes off, great. If it doesn’t, we will try something else until we find what people want.”
It was important to offer people in the area a place where they could get a hot lunch and sit and eat it, Angel said.
“This is not the salad crowd. These are workers. They want a hot and hearty lunch. We wanted to provide the basics. They can get that now without having to drive more than 20 minutes to Natchez, buy fast food and eat it in a hurry in order to get back on time,” she said. “And we didn’t think people who live out here should have to drive an hour and a half round trip to get eggs, cheese, bread. But the interesting thing is we have learned that they like the specialty stuff. They’ve shown us they love being introduced to new things and fun things and elevated things. We had Velveeta cheese and White Truffle Cheddar Cheese. We sold out of the White Truffle Cheddar. I was like, ‘Oh, OK. We see what you want. We all want the same thing. ’ That’s been really fun. We are open to suggestions. We are just following the lead of the community.”
New things are planned for Church Hill Variety, but no one is in any rush.
“We don’t want to get in over our heads. We
want it to last. We want to grow organically, not try to reinvent the wheel.” Angel said.
Making Church Hill Variety a success means embracing the community that has existed there for generations.
Robert said he was talking to a member of the Guedon family before Church Hill Variety was open about plans and goals for the store and restaurant. The Guedon family is prominent in the Church Hill community.
“I told her we love Church Hill and are not trying to change Church Hill. We just want a place for people to come together and add that to the community. She looked at me and said, ‘Well, that will work,’ ” he said. “It’s such a special place here. It’s so beautiful and we just want to bring the community, bring people together. We are not trying to change anything.”
IT’S OUR HAPPY PLACE
Finding cook Angela Davis has been a game changer, Robert and Angel said.
“Angela Davis is fabulous. She came in and we were like, ‘This is The person.’ And we knew we needed The Person, someone who cared and someone who could bring heart to the food,” Angel said. “She can execute what we already had in place and she brings her own flavor.”
Angela’s fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, available as part of the lunch specials offered on the weekends, have been a huge hit.
“Basically, we just put out feelers and we had one of the county supervisors in Fayette tell us about a woman he knew who is a great cook and was looking for something new to do,” Robert said. “Angela went to Xavier University and studied speech pathology. She taught school for many years and got into cooking later on when she worked for a cousin who had a catering company.”
For the next two months, Church Hill Variety will offer live music on Friday nights.
“We are working on phase two, we will be doing an event space in the area in the back of the restaurant. We are going to do picnic tables and a big outdoor space with a playground,” she said.
The drive to Church Hill Variety from Natchez sets the stage for the experience to come. Leaving the city and traveling the short half hour through the historic south Mississippi countryside with its pristine towering pines and blooming dogwoods and wildflowers puts one in a mindset to leave cares behind and enjoy the moment.
“I just want people to know regardless of what the lunch special is or what band is playing, they are going to come out and have a good time here. They are going to meet really nice people and eat great food and get great service and they are going to leave happy. And they are going to want to come back because it’s a happy place.”
MADE IN NATCHEZ
THE KITCHEN IS HIS
STAGE
STORY BY SABRINA ROBERTSON PHOTO SUBMITTED
For Jeffrey Gardner, a Natchez native and Cathedral High School graduate, food is theater and the kitchen is his stage.
He is the son of Don and Cindy Gardner. Before retiring to the South American country of Ecuador, his father ran a car dealership and his mother was an elementary school teacher at McLaurin.
But the food gene comes from his grandfather Bill Gardner, who would take Jeffrey Gardner on trips around the region just to taste the local cuisine.
“My grandfather would drive to Baton Rouge to buy fresh fish and took us to
New Orleans for all the great dining experiences,” he said. “It’s always going to be a part of my DNA. (Natchez) shared more culinary DNA with New Orleans than anywhere else. I have memories if places where we would eat growing up and the experiences like at Cock of the Walk (which used to be at Natchez Under the Hill) where they would flip the cornbread in the cast iron skillet. Some of the dishes were best in class. Food is theater in a way. It’s more than just food. I love cooking in front of people and the interactive component of it.”
Gardner went to Millsaps College to
pursue degrees in business and Spanish. However, Gardner said no matter what his path, “I’ve always gravitated to food.”
After culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, he worked at the Bravo! Italian Restaurant & Bar in Jackson, where he worked his way up from “lowly line cook” to saucier, to sous chef.
Later on, “I reached out to two or three of the best restaurants in Atlanta,” and became the executive chef at one of them, he said. “Once I got into the Atlanta restaurant scene, I’ve been here ever since.”
He has been a guest chef on morning
MADE IN NATCHEZ
news shows and is featured in Season 6 of the Food Network show Chopped, which is now in Season 55.
“I was 26 when we shot that,” Gardner recalled. He later became the recipe editor of Southern Kitchen and the owner of Hot Corner LLC, which provides food and media consulting with a specialty in culinary operations.
He did a stint with a social-media series which he dubbed “Quarantine Café” in which he taught recipes that use common kitchen staples at a time when no one wanted to go to the grocery store. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, Gardner decided to leave the restaurant scene and spend more time with his wife Wendy, he said.
Still working in hospitality, Gardner is currently regional manager at Flik Hospitality Group, which provides consulting serves to companies at the employee and consumer level to improve brand integrity as well as customer and client relations.
Now his time in the kitchen is more for personal enjoyment.
“I cook every night for my wife and myself,” he said. Gardner finds his wife’s career in the entertainment industry more interesting than his own, he said.
She worked in Public Relations and Talent Media Relations for Warner Bros. and worked behind the scenes of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, he said.
His favorite things to cook have changed over the years, but among Gardner’s most recent favorites is pasta from scratch.
“I find it magical,” he said of making and shaping the dough.
Another favorite of his are fresh seafood dishes. His career highlight, he said, is having the opportunity to work with some great chefs and train them. “I’m most proud of all the people who were kind enough to work with me and enjoyed doing so enough to say they learned something from me,” he said. “I’ve had other chefs that I look up to and its humbling to think that there are other people who look up to me in the same way. I’m proud of all of them.”
His next proudest accomplishment is a meal he cooked that was akin to granting a wished for the Make a Wish Foundation, he said.
A young lady who goes by the name “Izzy” loved Food Network and whished that Gardner would cook for her, which wound up being her last meal outside her home. The signature dessert was a red velvet cake — her favorite, he said.
SOCIAL SCENES
DR. STUBBS RETIREMENT
Scenes from Dr. Kenneth Stubbs’ retirement celebration at Merit Health Natchez
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
1. Mike Luallen, Deanna Keasler, Jenny Vercher
2. Sue Stead, Dr. Kenneth Stubbs, Dee Ham
3. Stephanie Lindsey, Kenneth Stubbs, Rod Lindsey
4. Kenneth Stubbs
KREWE OF MER 2024
The Krewe of Mer celebrated its 2024 Royalty with a grand ball. Photos by Jay Deville Johnson.
PHOTOS BY Jay Deville Johnson
1. Krewe of Mer 2024 Queen Courtney L. Mitchell
2. James and Mitzi Dease Paige, Esq.
3. On left, Henry Davis, Monica Davis, Franki Wallace; on right, Deshundrick Winston, George Young, Catoya Winston, Edna Winston, and Cedric Green
4. Antonio Rankin, Krewe of Mer vice president
5. Jennifer Minor Johnson
6. Jefferson County Middle School band.
7. Nicole A. Bell, Krewe Captain
8. Charles E. Cothern Sr.
9. Shalanda McCullum White
10. Dr. Alma Rankin
KREWE OF PHOENIX MARDI GRAS SEASON
The Krewe of Phoenix celebrated Mardi Gras 2023-2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a series of parties, a call-out ball and grand ball honoring Rex XLII and Queen Rosalie XLII.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
1. Wright Graning and Wesley Anderson at the Call Out Ball
2. Chase Laukhauff and Ann Ward, at the Duke and Duchess party
3. Mackenzie Watts, Ann Ward and Alexis Hodges
4. Allie Winston, Jake Winston, Ann Ward and Cole Mosby
5. Brandy Colbert, Ann Ward, Jennifer Smith and Macee Crouch
6. Amy Depta, Macee Crouch, Christi Rabb, Queen Rosalie Lyn Jenkins, Alicia Norris, Lee Hinson, Brandy Colbert
10. The King, Queen and Court at the Call-Out Ball (photo courtesy Alan Laird)
SAVE THE HALL BALL
The Save the Hall Ball on March 2 is an annual event aimed at raising funds for the preservation and maintenance of the Pilgrimage Garden Club’s Stanton Hall and Longwood. Hosts for this year’s event were John and Valerie Bergeron and Wes and Tammy Pack.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED
1. Pilgrimage Garden Club President Marsha Colson and Laine Berry.
2. From left, Lou Ellen Stout, Penny Buntyn, LaNee Henry and Hunter Stewart.
3. Cherish Anne Latting and Bradley Watson in The Carriage House.
4. Robert Kuehnle of Oxford and Rusty Jenkins.
5. Beautiful lanterns adorn the front of Stanton Hall and hang from the majestic oak trees in the courtyard behind the mansion. Roses and flowers of all sorts intertwine on a mantel inside Stanton Hall. Beau DesHotel designed decor for the Save the Hall Ball.
6. Cheryle Burrow poses for a photo before the ball on the Stanton Hall drive.
7. Mike Gahagan poses in front of Stanton Hall.
8. Laine and Kevin Berry.
9. Beau Lutz, Kate Lee Laird, Kerry Dicks and Beau DesHotel.
10. Mr. and Mrs. Noble (Fayla Huff) Guedon.
PARTING SHOT
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
- James Beard
Submitted photo
Georgia VanNewkirk and Academy Award-winning actor and part-time Church Hill resident Octavia Spencer at Church Hill Variety in Church Hill.
