FOOD

Mama Ruby's Restaurant

Family-owned restaurant has food for the soul

Story By Aaron Paden Photos By Gracie Bryne and Donna Campbell

To co-owner Jeff Newton, Mama Ruby’s is a place to bring the people of Brookhaven food for the soul.

The idea of his family building their own restaurant specializing in soul food has been stewing in the back of his mind for years.

But, with more than 33 years of experience working in the food industry — he was the general manager of Piggly Wiggly on Hwy. 51 for 15 years before its closing and managed a Delchamps store before that — the time was never right. The Pig’s closing has given the Newton family an opportunity to realize that dream.

“I came from a cooking family,” Newton said. “I married into a cooking family. I’ve worked around food all these years, so I know good cooks and I know good eating.”

Newton runs the restaurant with his wife Valetta Newton and his son Jeffrey. Mama Ruby’s is named after Valetta’s

Mama’s Ruby is a culmination of everything Jeff Newton has learned about cooking from his family.

late grandmother Ruby Lee Wilcher.

Wilcher passed away a few years ago, but Newton said she and his own grandparents imparted a tradition of good southern cooking onto their families.

“Cooking is definitely a specialty,” Newton said. “She really loved to cook. My mother and grandmother was the same way. You just can’t beat it. Being down in the south, you just can’t beat home cooking. Nothing compares in my opinion.”

The motto of Mama Ruby’s is “Made with love. Food for the soul.” Newton wants to bring people good, home cooking, but he also wants Mama Ruby’s to be convenient.

After Piggly Wiggly closed, Newton brought some of the staff along with him to build his family’s restaurant, and Newton said they have experienced cooks on staff to make southern home cooking available for everybody.

“Mama Ruby’s is a restaurant for all,” he said. The most unique thing about us — and I don’t think anybody in the state of Mississippi does this — you can get a hot plate through the drive through also.”

According to Newton it’s that convenience — along with a dedication real home cooking made with love — that has been essential for bringing people to the restaurant. And he said Mama Ruby’s so far has been a success.

Jeff Newton hopes customers find comfort in the Southern cuisine his restaurant serves.

“We’ve got good restaurants here,” Newton said. “But (people) were excited to have something that offers home cooking on a daily basis.”

While Newton said there was a fast food menu available every day, most of Mama Ruby’s menu changes from day to day.

Some days are specialized for red beans and rice and fried or baked chicken. Some days will have smothered pork chops or smothered chicken. The weekend is set aside for fish and shrimp.

“Every day it changes,” Newton said. “We have a lot of good, home-cooked flavors.”

The Newton Family began planning Mama Ruby’s opening in earnest late last year. They purchased the building in late December, and it’s taken a lot of long hours and hard work making Mama Ruby’s ready for the public.

“We brought this place a mighty long ways,” Newton said.

Since opening March 11, Newton said the family has learned that it takes a lot of work to run a restaurant. But to them, it’s all worth it.

“It can be very challenging at times,” Newton said. “It can be some long hours. It can be hectic. But when you’ve got a labor of love, you never work a day in your life.”

Try containers for fresh-grown produce

By Gary R. Bachman MSU Extension Service

Containers aren’t just for flowers; they can be used to grow fresh vegetables for aspiring gardeners who don’t have a traditional garden.

Container gardening isn’t just for flowers. Many vegetables can be grown in containers, such as these tomatoes in 3-gallon nursery containers.

A container is a great way to grow fresh produce in a small space. These mini bok choy are thriving in window boxes.

Container gardening is ideal for those with limited yard space or those living in apartments with only a balcony. Many locations in Mississippi, especially along the coast, have soil that is less than ideal for vegetables. Growing them in containers is a great alternative to amending the soil.

Growing vegetables in containers also can elevate the garden so those with accessibility challenges can enjoy gardening, too.

The ideal container for growing vegetables is limited only by your imagination. Many people use the black containers that other plants come in from the nursery. These vary in size from smaller than a quart to larger than 15 gallons.

Different vegetables need differentsized containers. For example, tomatoes and eggplant perform well in 3- and 5-gallon containers, peppers grow well in 3-gallon pots, and zucchini and squash succeed in 5-gallon containers.

Terra cotta pots are great for herbs and are attractive wherever they are placed. Window boxes are a little deeper and are good for growing small head lettuce, mini bok choy, spinach and radishes.

Plastic tubs ranging in size from 12 to 25 gallons are good selections for root vegetables, such as potatoes, beets, onions and carrots. Remember that these tubs will last only a couple of seasons because sunlight breaks down the plastic. You can paint the exposed surfaces to extend their lifespan, but be sure to use paint designed to stick to plastic.

Self-watering containers are available at local garden centers or from online gardening supply websites. These are especially good for patios and balconies, as they produce less water overflow than traditional containers do. Be sure to check weight limits; this type of container can weigh more than 60 pounds when full of water.

Moisture is the most crucial consideration when growing vegetables in containers. Without their roots in the ground, the plants are completely dependent on you for water. You can’t rely on rainfall. Most container-grown vegetable must be watered daily or even several times a day in the summer.

Container growing lends itself to drip irrigation. Off-the-shelf starter kits are available along with additional components to expand the irrigation system.

Never use native soil when growing vegetables in containers. Instead, use commercially available potting media or mixes composed of peat moss, bark and forest byproducts.

You must maintain an adequate level of fertilization to yield an optimum harvest. Both organic and inorganic options are available, and the horticulture industry offers more fertilizer choices every season.

Controlled-release fertilizers release their nutrients over a period of time, typically from three to nine months or more. Water-soluble fertilizer should be applied weekly with a watering can or a hose-end applicator. You get superior results when you use both a controlledrelease fertilizer in the soil and weekly doses of water-soluble fertilizer.

If you want your own farm-fresh vegetables but don’t have the space for your own farm, try growing them in containers this year.

Why I love Brookhaven

I think one of the biggest reasons why I love Brookhaven is the hometown reason. I was not born here, but I have always felt as if I was. Growing up knowing everyone around me has always been something that makes Brookhaven home to me.

Another huge reason why I love Brookhaven is my church family. Having people that are around the same age as you is just like having more siblings. It is something special when you are surrounded with everyone you know supporting and watching you grow into an adult. The churches around here have such a close community that I love. And all those churches’ youth groups are just a huge family that loves to fellowship together.

I have loved watching all of the local churches grow and change as the newer generation has grown up. I have gotten to experience and witness our children’s church at Mt. Zion go from 10 kids to 30 in the past couple of years, which has been unbelievable. Our youth group also is something that has grown so much since I have been in it. There is not a whole lot in this world that can beat an amazing church family or community. The love and support of all the churches is something that you can tell is God’s work in our town.

Something that you get in a small town like Brookhaven is people who you do not know will walk up to you in WalMart and tell you how good you did in a ball game three years ago. It is really awesome to have those conversations and love from your community.

The sports community here is something awesome. When everybody knows everybody, you get to watch so many athletes grow and develop the skills of their sports. I have watched role models that I have known since I was little grow up and become the adults they are today.

I love going to the Disciple Now events that we have annually here in Brookhaven. Nothing beats getting to worship and fellowship with my hometown.

Brookhaven is a place where you can walk around just about anywhere and see somebody that you saw last week and talk like you have not seen each other in years. Also, I love seeing all the small businesses everywhere around Brookhaven. It is so awesome to watch people achieving their dreams even in such a small place.

Brookhaven has such a special place in my heart and a lot of other people’s hearts. But if I could sum up the main reason why I love Brookhaven, it would have to be community.

Carson Hughey is a freshman at Loyd Star Attendance Center, where she plays softball and basketball. She is the daughter of Michael and Tonya Hughey.

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