own own T &G August 2018
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In this Issue
Home, Garden and Lifestyle around Mississippi
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Starkville Snowballs
14
Made in Mississippi: Umble Coffee Co.
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27
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Starkville Grown & Seasoned With Charm: Making a Chef
City Bagel Chef Shares Passion for Italian Cuisine
Taste & Toast
20 40
“Breaking Glass Ceilings in the Food & Beverage Industry�
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New Food on the Block
54
Events
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A Product of Horizon of Mississippi
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P.O. Box 1068 | Starkville, MS 39760 www.townandgownmagazine.com
{ s taf f } Courtney Cox | Editor - editor@townandgownmagazine.com { acco u n t exe c uti ve s } Carole Ann Doughty - caroleann@townandgownmagazine.com Wendi McMinn - wendi@starkvilledailynews.com Anthony Sclafani- anthony@starkvilledailynews.com
{writ ers} Mary Rumore Charlie Benton Faith Lifer Joe Lee Sarah Raines {photographers} Hunter Hart Mary Rumore Courtney Cox {page design} Courtney Cox {adver t ising design} Chris Mcmillen
Reproductions in whole or in part,without written permission,is strictly prohibited. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited manuscripts, articles or photographs. We reserve the right to edit submissions before publication. Town & Gown is a free magazine published monthly and distributed in and around Starkville and the Golden Triangle area. Subscriptions are available for mail customers. For subscriptions or inquiries,write Town & Gown Magazine, P.O. Box 1068, Starkville, MS, 39760, or call 662.323.1642.
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Article by Joe Lee • Photos by Hunter Hart
s a g e v k r Sta s l l a b
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o, there’s no snow in your hot-as-a-firecracker August weather forecast, but there’s a one hundred percent chance of snowballs being created in an artsy, eye-catching building on Lummus in The Cotton District. And there’s a really good chance that a treat from Starkvegas Snowballs will make your child or grandchild very happy after a sweaty soccer practice or lengthy morning at cheer camp. Owned by Doug and Cori Cater of Starkville (a pharmaceutical sales rep and a mental health professional, respectively), Starkvegas Snowballs moved from a mobile concession trailer location on U.S. 12 to its permanent Lummus Drive location in 2017. The Caters open each March and don’t close their doors each fall until the weather cools off for good, which – here in the Golden Triangle – may not be until November.
They have a catchy name. So what makes their products unique? “We sell New Orleans-style snowballs, which is different from a snowcone,” said Doug, who grew up in Starkville and graduated from Mississippi State (MSU) in 1996 with a degree in Professional Golf Management. “A snowball is fluffy (with) freshly-shaved ice, (compared to) the crushed ice found in snowcones.” “To make our syrup we use pure cane sugar – no high-fructose corn syrup – with filtered water and no preservatives,” said Cori, a Jackson native and MSU grad who earned a Master’s in mental health counseling from Troy University. “We have several flavors that are homemade: cream of coffee, cream of wedding cake, peaches and cream, and chocolate. You can get multiple flavors without an additional cost and toppings are free – including Nerds, gummy bears, sweetened condensed milk, caramel, whipped cream and sprinkles.” The snowballs have not only been a hit with MSU students and Oktibbeha County residents, their customer base includes regulars from West Point, Ackerman and Houston.
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“There are great dessert and frozen treat options in Starkville,” Doug said. “Competition is a good thing because it allows the customer to have choices. And as locals, we want Starkville to have diverse options that help to make this town unique. We feel our success is based on two things: the quality of our product and the customer’s experience.” The mobile concession trailer hasn’t been forgotten – Doug and Cori keep it on hand for special events like birthday parties, church functions and gatherings at fraternity and sorority houses. But there’s significant walk-up traffic at their Lummus Street location, given their close proximity to the student population at MSU. “We use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for marketing,” Doug said. “Our growth has been through word of mouth and from when doing events like Old Main Festival on campus and Cotton District Arts Festival. You can’t miss our building – at 216 Lummus – because it features the work of artist and muralist, Michael Roy, also known as Birdcap.”
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Made in Mississippi
Umble Coffee Co.
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Article and photos by Mary Rumore
hen Dr. Kenneth Thomas is not at work at Thomas Urology Clinic, he spends his time roasting healthy, specialty coffee in his shop behind his home in Starkville. Umble Coffee Co. was launched April 14, 2018, and the company focuses on delivering the healthiest specialty coffee conveniently to customers through an online, subscription-based service. Thomas, who has always been a coffee lover, said he was first inspired to begin toasting his own coffee after trying freshly roasted coffee for the first time. "I never knew what a fresh cup of coffee, a recently roasted, specialty grade cup of coffee could taste like," he said. "It tastes a million times different than the more commonly ground coffee that we get. It was like a light bulb moment for me. I had it, and I could never go back." As opposed to coffee that sits on grocery store shelves and has a "best by" date, Thomas said Umble Coffee Co. roasts and ships coffee within 24 hours and lists a "roasted on" date instead. "Freshness is a significant factor in optimizing health benefits," he said. "We wouldn't buy bread that was two months old, so why should that be the norm for our coffee?" Thomas said the benefits of freshly roasted coffee not only include better quality and taste, but health benefits including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
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"Black coffee has more antioxidants than a cup of red wine or a cup of green tea," he said. "A lot of people don't know that coffee is full of anti-inflammitories and antioxidants. The fresher, the better. That's why an online subscription service that comes to you in the mail is a great way to get some good-quality coffee and optimize the health aspects of it." Umble Coffee Company offers four different varieties of coffee: Noble 8 Breakfast Blend, Roaster's Crow House Blend, Wolf's French Roast and Druthers Decaf. Subscriptions are available at umblecoffee.com, and 12 ounce bags cost $20. Customers can choose the roast, grind, quantity and frequency of delivery, and the options can be changed at any time. Tomas was part of a team of roasters who won a national coffee roasting award at the Specialty Coffee Association's Roaster's Guild Retreat in 2017. Throughout the Umble Coffee Co. journey, Thomas said he was also inspired by his mother, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last May and passed away several months later. "The anti-inflammatories and antioxidants don't cure cancer by any means," Thomas said, "but it is a healthier move for lowering risks for cancer among other things." Thomas sold his first bag of Umble Coffee Co. coffee to his mother for only $1, an experience he said that will always be special to him.
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Starkville Grown & Seasoned with Charm: Making a Chef
Article by Faith Lifer • Photos provided by FOX
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hile most children make it their mission to evade the chore of eating daily greens, Mark Coblentz welcomed the opportunity at age seven when he asked his dad, Robbie Coblentz, to try seaweed. “He told me he wanted to eat seaweed, so I took him to get sushi,” Coblentz recalled of a moment with his younger son. When Mark actually enjoyed the seaweed, Coblentz remembers thinking to himself, “‘Yeah, this guy does like food.’” Just as Coblentz predicted, Mark does like food. However, Mark’s love of food goes beyond eating sushi. Mark is a chef, and he loves to cook. “Chefs are writers who tell their story through their dishes,” 15 year-old chef Mark said as he searched for words to capture his passion of cooking. “Cooking is a story, and your ingredients are your plot. The better the ingredients, the better the dish.” As for Mark, his story contains quality ingredients that shaped him into the chef he is today. Mark’s story incorporates a flavor profile of family, mentors, and the southern town, Starkville, Mississippi, that raised him—all blended with one boy’s dedication to the art of cooking. One ingredient that has remained particularly potent in Mark’s story is food television. When Mark and his older brother, David Coblentz, were young, they were permitted to watch either sports or cooking channels on TV. While David gravitated toward sports, Mark became a habitual viewer of Food Network. Eventually, however, solely viewing the chefs didn’t satisfy Mark’s palate. “He started watching food television and enjoying it, going beyond passively watching to wanting to do it himself,” Mark’s mom, Bonnie Coblentz, recalls. “I supported him along the way with a lot of grocery trips.”
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Mark began experimenting with different recipes, yet he didn’t just follow in the chefs’ steps by cooking in the kitchen. Mark decided he too could cook for a national audience. And he did just that. Mark would be one of two finalists for season one of Chopped Jr. in 2015, and he would make it to the top ten in season five of Master Chef Jr. in 2017, all by age 14. Although Mark’s culinary feats on television are impressive, Mark’s parents are proudest of the character he demonstrated under pressure in a competitive environment. “As proud as we are of his success,” Robbie Coblentz explained, “the thing that really means the most to Bonnie and to me is that we constantly get feedback from friends, from acquaintances, from people in the community who say, ‘Mark represented us well. Mark represented Mississippi well. Mark represented Starkville well.’” “He showed good sportsmanship,” Bonnie Coblentz echoed. “I’m very proud that he helped others and was a team player.” Considering the people who have supported and mentored Mark along the way, it’s not difficult to understand what compelled Mark to help his competitors. Mark’s first memories of cooking are memories of collaborative cooking with his grandma and his mom. “My first cooking memory is with my Nana, my dad’s mom. We would always go over to her house, especially at Christmas time, and bake cookies,” Mark reminisced of his earliest days of cooking. “She always made homemade rolls and homemade bread and shape it in the form of a teddy bear, and we’d bake that.” Mark also remembers helping his mom in the kitchen. “She would cook just about every night, so I would ask if she needed help,” Mark said. “If she did, I would help her. If she didn’t, I would hang out in the kitchen and watch.” Although now, Mark doesn’t always ask for permission. “It cracks me up. I’ll be cooking dinner, and it will just be plain old boring tacos, you know, or something normal,” Bonnie said. “He’ll walk through, and he’ll stop, pick up the spoon, stir it, maybe taste a little bit, smell it. ‘You mind if I add some seasonings?’ He’s hilarious. He does that a lot. He can’t help himself.”
Outside of family, local chefs in Starkville have also played a role in helping Mark develop his culinary skills. Ty Thames, Dylan Hruska and Matt Bronski are just a few of Starkville’s local chefs who have welcomed Mark into their kitchens to teach him part of their craft. “Chefs are usually some of the most giving people,” Robbie Coblentz said. “In my experience, they like to educate younger chefs.” In fact, collaborative cooking is what brought Mark back to television. Prior to Master Chef Jr., Robbie Coblentz, who owns a video production company, Broadcast Media Group (BMG), decided to make YouTube videos for Mark. While making the videos, Robbie Coblentz realized the television potential of Mark learning from other chefs. “One of the things that we liked was Mark going in and talking to a chef showing him a couple of things,” Robbie Coblentz said. “That seemed to work really well, and we decided, ‘Hey, let’s look at making a TV show out of this.’” Robbie pitched the idea to Mississippi Public Broadcasting, (MPB), then he and his employees created a pilot episode. MPB gave the OK, so Robbie and his employees went on to produce eight episodes of the first season of “Making a Chef,” starring Mark. Many of the same chefs who taught Mark their culinary knowledge early on gueststarred in the first season. “Our first season we spotlighted a lot of our friends from Starkville,” Robbie said. “It’s fun to bring a spotlight on what they’re doing, because there’s some great food being made in Starkville. And it’s always cool to be able to shine a light on your hometown that way.” Mark has enjoyed learning from the experience. “I learned a whole lot of stuff,” Mark said. “I didn’t even know there was a corn grinder back at Restaurant Tyler, or I didn’t know we had almost an industrial-size operation with Farmer Sam and Bountiful Harvest Farms.”
The show’s success merited a second season, fir which filming has already begun. Mark’s excited to learn more. “I’m really looking forward to the second season of Making a Chef,” Mark said. “We’re hoping to go to more places to learn about more food, more processes and extend my culinary knowledge.” “The TV show is a cooperative, and it’s fun to be able to do that with your kid,“ Robbie Coblentz said. “But the whole culinary career, the competition, that’s all Mark, and it’s all his hard work. It’s been fun to watch.” While Mark’s immediate future involves staying in the spotlight, starring in his own show, Mark’s future plans will take him behind the scenes of the restaurant industry. Once he pays his dues in the kitchen, Mark’s ultimate dream would be to own several restaurant destinations across the South. If that dream is accomplished, Mark would individually tailor each restaurant to hone in on the culinary traditions of the particular region, all while adding his own personal touch. “American food by itself is a mixture of hundreds of different cultures, so I definitely want to expand on that.” Mark said. “But I also want to remember the classics of the South.” “Why fix what’s not broken?” Mark asked. “I want to highlight biscuits and gravy, hoe cakes and stuff like that, but put a more modern, American twist on it.” And of course, Mark’s theme of quality ingredients will also play a role in his restaurants. Just as Mark and his mom locally source ingredients to make the peach preserves and the homemade crepes they sell at local stands, Mark also plans to locally source the ingredients for his restaurants’ dishes. “There’s a complete difference between an industrially-grown tomato and a tomato grown on a local garden or by a local farmer,” Mark explained. The culinary example Starkville is setting has shown Mark the benefits of supporting local gardeners and farmers. “Starkville is becoming more farm to table,” Mark said. “It’s better for the environment, it tastes better and it’s cooler saying, ‘that was grown six miles from here,’ instead of 600.” No matter what Mark pursues, he will focus on the basics Starkville and its community have taught him to aspire toward: good ingredients. “I just enjoy turning simple ingredients, simple things, into a finished masterpiece and see people enjoy it,” Mark reflected.
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City Bagel Chef Shares Passion for Italian Cuisine
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Article by Charlie Benton • Photos by Hunter Hart
n more than a decade working in kitchens, City Bagel Café Chef de Cuisine Dillon Han has never stopped learning. Han arrived at City Bagel from Aiken, South Carolina, in 2016, following his veterinary student wife to Starkville. As the head of City Bagel’s kitchen, Han has been instrumental in the implementation of the restaurant’s Italian bistro menu, which is served Wednesday through Saturday nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. “Tye Thames and Brian Kelly are the owners here,” Han said. “(Thames’) background is in Italian cuisine, so he hired me to change the pasta night that (former owners) Joe Tkach and Mary Tkach created to an actual Italian bistro.” Han said the restaurant transforms completely during the bistro service, both in menu and atmosphere. “As far as nighttime is concerned, it’s just we’re trying to create more of an atmosphere of Italian cuisine,” Han said. “That’s kind of the guidelines we stick to. Han said the style of cuisine he strived to produce had its roots in regional home cooking across Italy. He said it was based on local, seasonal ingredients and making the best of what was available. Han strives to keep his cuisine as local as possible, going as far as using milk from a local dairy and Mississippi-raised pork and beef in his meatballs. August 2018 | 27
“The tomato sauce, I make in-house,” Han said. “The whole dish is why we’re here.” In addition to the spaghetti and meatballs, Han also recommended the Alfredo. He said he used the original Alfredo method, adding no cream, but using just cheese, butter and pasta water. “That’s the classic recipe for Alfredo, which is a little more difficult because you have to emulsify the butter into the past water, melt the cheese and have it be just right,” Han said. Outside of the pasta realm, Han often uses the bistro menu as a chance to explore other dishes, including a seafood cioppino with shrimp, catfish and sausage. With parents in the U.S. Navy, Han moved often as a child, but considers Wilmington, Delaware, to be his hometown. “I picked up a lot of food memories from early childhood for sure,” Han said. Despite training at the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, Han said most of hislearning has been on the job. He has worked in several types of restaurants both in New England and across the South. He said he has learned something from every restaurant he has worked at. “I’ve been in all different types of restaurants,” Han said. “Like I said, food to me is just interesting. I don’t stop thinking about it. I cook at home a lot. I’m really partial to Latin American cuisines. I love French cuisine. Something I’m interested in now is barbecue. I think barbecue is such an art. I want to learn it.” He said his time at City Bagel has improved him both as a manager and a cuisinere, and said he was on board with the restaurant’s mission form his first interview. “I am realizing my faults, and my strengths in food and in management and with the guests, and I’m realizing more of how I want my food to be in the future and how much it effects the environment and the guests and the atmosphere,” Han said. “There’s just so much to take in.” He attributed much of the restaurant’s success to its staff, including a sous chef, two bakers, a barista and a pastry chef. He explained the logistics of running both sides of City Bagel, the bistro and the daytime sandwiches, bagels and coffee. “I think the City Bagel Café, day and night has really taken to heart what we’re here for, and that’s make great food,” Han said. While Han did not cite any particular restaurants or chefs as influences, he again emphasized the philosophy and methods of regional
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Italian cooking. He even compared the Regionalism of Italy with that of Mississippi. “Think of the Roman Empire,” Han said. “The Roman Empire alone brought in so many spices and trades and exposed so many people to what’s out there, and then you see the trickle effect of all the country changing their sauces and their pasta styles,” Han said. “If you’re on the coast, or if you’re inland near France and Switzerland in the mountains, it completely changes. There’s so much to like. That’s why I love Italian cuisine. He said the Bistro menu at City Bagel would most likely stay where it was for now. However, he expressed a desire to continue adding more dishes and experimenting with the menu. “What I’ve learned is that there’s no real right way and wrong way to do things,” Han said. “Everything is just so diverse. It really takes reflection and thought to move forward.” He said he hoped to see City Bagel stay the quality restaurant it was and provide the same experience, even as the city of Starkville grew around it.
Guests may bring their own wine or liquor to the bistro night for a $1.50 corkage fee. Select beers are available. For more information, City Bagel can be reached at 662323-3663. The restaurant is located at 511 University Drive.
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Taste & Toast
Spicy Watermelon-Jalapeno Mojito
Fresh watermelon Mint 2 jalapenos muddled 2 ounces of light rum Splash of soda Shake and strain over ice Garnish with skewer of watermelon, mint & jalapeno Drink and enjoy! Recipe provided by Central Station Grill
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Shrimp & Grits
Bacon, sausage, onion, and garlic sautĂŠed Add grilled shrimp, spinach, and tomatoes Pour over smoked gouda and jalapeno grits Garnish with chives August 2018 | 33
Frozen Gin & Tonic Recipes provided by Brian Kelley & Ty Thames Restaurant Tyler and The Guest Room
3 ounces gin 1 ounce Jack Rudy tonic syrup 1 ounce simple syrup 2 dashes orange bitters 1 1/2 ounces fresh juice 12 standard size ice cubes lime wedge for garnish Chill the mixture prior to adding ice and blending. Enjoy. 34 | TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
Peel & Eat Shrimp
2 Pounds Shrimp (Split and Deveined) 2 Tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Bunch parsley (Chopped) In a large pot of boiling salt water, cook shrimp until opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Add butter, Old Bay seasoning, lemon and Parsley, toss to coat. Serve warm with melted butter or cold with cocktail sauce. August 2018 | 35
Recipes provided by Moe’s Original BBQ
Blackberry Bourbon Smash
Muddle 2 or 3 blackberries 1 1/2 oz. of Bourbon 1 oz. of Triple Sec 3/4 lemonade Fill glass with ice Shake well Top off with soda water Garnish with a lemon 36 | TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
2 Cucumbers, deseeded and diced 6 Roma Tomatoes, deseeded and diced *Hint: Use a spoon to deseed the cucumber Dressing 2 tbsp salt 1 tsp Black Pepper 1 tsp Garlic Powder 4 oz. Italian Vinaigrette Toss all ingredients together in large bowl & enjoy! August 2018 | 37
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Article by Joe Lee • Photos by Hunter Hart
s g n i l i e C s s a l G g n i k a e “Br e g a r e v e B & d o o F e in th Industry” 40 | TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
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typical sommelier pours wine for dinner guests and might answer a question or two about what might best complement a specific entree. But Barbara Burgess is no ordinary sommelier. Which isn’t surprising, because the Charleston, South Carolina, native and full-time Restaurant Tyler sommelier is no ordinary person. Adopted by a foster family that moved her to Georgia before relocating to Terry, Mississippi, Burgess was initially a political science major and considered social work before finding her calling. “Food and wine was always something I was interested in,” Burgess said, “When I discovered The Court of Masters Sommeliers was the hardest set of exams in the world to pass – and a career largely dominated by men; only 25 women have passed the final exam – I decided I wanted to be one of those women, breaking glass ceilings in the food and beverage industry.” Now in her fifth year at Restaurant Tyler and The Guest Room, Burgess went to work for Chef Ty Thames when Zorba’s was open and waited tables there through college. She also waited tables and bartended at The Guest Room before becoming a primary bartender once the Restaurant Tyler bar was renovated. “Our regulars are more like family,” Burgess said. “They are an intricate part in what we do here and the reason I can have this career in this town; they were so open to the change that Chef Ty, Brian Kelly and I bought with the new wine program. We have guests that dine with us multiple times a week and always ask what new and interesting wine I have for them to try.” August 2018 | 41
The unique aspect of what Burgess brings to Restaurant Tyler is the wine tasting. Not only does she present customers with two-ounce samples of four different wines on a guided tasting mat, she explains the wines they selected and checks back through the course of the meal. “We go over the things they are smelling, tasting, which wines they liked the most, which may not have been their favorite,” Burgess said. “We talk about the history of the grape, region, and any other interesting fact that may exist. When people come here to drink wine, they do not just drink it – they experience it. I still open bottles and help guests select the best pairings for their food, and I help our chef pair wine with our Chef Tasting menu. I do all wine management and meet with distributors, winemakers and reps to select the best wines for our list.” The learning and creative opportunities never stop as Burgess studies her craft – she travels to Jackson each week to meet with a blind tasting group made up of sommeliers from different restaurants and always returns to Starkville with new ideas. “I love offering pairings,” she said. “A few weeks ago two of my regular guests came in and I paired their fried chicken with cava, a sparkling wine from Spain. The bubbles cut through the grease of the fried chicken. We offer a few pastas like our Jambalaya pasta and our Pappardelle pasta – for those I always pair wine with the sauce. The trick to pairing wine is understanding the molecular makeup of various varietals and understanding how those compounds interact with the different compounds in a dish.” 42 | TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
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The coldest beer in Starkvegas, with the best balcony that over looks beautiful downtown! 217 E Main Street • 662-769-1715
Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 4pm - midnight • Thursday-Saturday: 4pm - 1am
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New Food on the Block Written by Sarah Raines
Andaman Thai Andaman Thai opened its doors May 10 and manager Dacia Gross said the restaurant is excited to see what the upcoming fall will bring. Gross and her fiancé, Kris Vee, moved to Starkville from Fairfax County, Virginia, after being invited by Vee’s mother, owner of Golden Bowl in Columbus Rina Bulphawon, to open a restaurant in Starkville. When setting up the restaurant, Gross said the goal was to make it classy, while also keeping the welcoming feel of a family-owned business. They wanted to create an environment that would give off a good, positive, and relaxing vibe. “Andaman is a sea in Thailand, kind of on the edge of India,” Gross said. “We kind of wanted to have the feeling of being in Thailand with our little twist to it. We want to attract older, younger, and middle-aged customers.” Gross said Andaman Thai’s food is a little different in taste, adding their own twist to traditional Thai food. The chefs also dress the plates to make the food more appealing to the eye and to add a fancy feel to dining in the new restaurant. Andaman Thai is located at 100 Russell Street and it is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. “Our first month has been really good,” Gross said. “We wanted to start in the summer because we thought it would be a good time to see how our crowd was going to be before the college kids come back to school…We have great clientele, we have great regulars, already, and we have great reviews.”
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Chicken Salad Chick will be opening its newest location in Starkville in September, just in time for Mississippi State University football season. Chicken Salad Chick is a chain based in the Southeast that offers 12 types of chicken salad and food fresh from their deli, all while striving to provide a welcoming environment for customers. The new location will be in University Village at 602 on Highway 12, with both dine-in and drive-through options available. It will be open Monday through Saturday, and will be closed on Sundays. Community Marketing Manager Libby Massey said the company has had many requests to open a location in Starkville, and it is excited to be able to serve the Starkville area. “From a food standpoint, we really are a fresh option for Starkville,” Massey said. “We don’t have any fryers or grills in our restaurants, so you always know everything is made by hand.” The company was founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008 by Kevin and Stacy Brown. Each flavor of chicken salad is named after an influential woman in the founders’ lives. Massey said some popular flavors are Fancy Nancy, with apples, grapes and pecans, or Sassy Scotty, with ranch, bacon and cheddar. The deli side of the menu will offer BLTs, garden salads, egg salads, pimento cheese, soups and fresh deserts, among other options. “One thing I have always loved about Chicken Salad Chick is the décor is designed by our founder, Stacy,” Massey said. “It is very warm and whimsical, so that you have a very nurturing environment. We’re always going to take care of our guests and make them feel like they’re dining at home.” Massey said the company’s mission is to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others, and the team at the new location plans to live out the mission to serve the people of Starkville.
Chicken Salad Chick
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New Food on the Block
Gondolier
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Starkville’s restaurant scene is growing, with new cuisines and new concepts arising all over Mississippi’s College Town. Come mid- to late-August, a new Italian option will be open for residents, students, visitors, and game-day goers. Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza will be located at the Mill’s second phase of development, 550 Russell at the Mill. Owner Scott Fream said the restaurant will give a modern twist to the Italian chain. “The Gondoliers, as a franchise, have been around for over forty years, and I would say that it’s more of an updated, contemporary version of what we’re doing going forward with the company,” Fream said. “We’ve adapted to the area we have in Starkville.” The new restaurant will not only offer a more modern twist to a traditional restaurant, but will also include a full bar. An official opening date will be set within the next few weeks, but Fream plans to open before Mississippi State University’s fall semester begins Aug. 22. The menu is available online at Gondolier Pizza’s website under the Starkville location. Fream’s first restaurant was a Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza in Jefferson City, Tennessee, and he first heard about the Golden Triangle area through the show “60 Minutes.” When developer of the Mill projects and renovations, Mark Castleberry, approached the Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza about putting a location in the new development, 550 Russell at the Mill, the company chose Fream to run it. “There is a shortage of Italian places,” Fream said. “There are a few pizza places, being a college town, but for just the full Italian cuisine, it’s not really around. Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza’s menu will offer a large Italian menu with affordable pricing, large portions, as well as a few Greek dishes.” The restaurant will be open seven days a week, and though official hours are not posted, Fream said they will probably range from around 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the week and perhaps stay open a little later on weekends. “We’ve had a warm reception so far with the locals,” Fream said. “It seems like everybody’s excited that we’re coming in…They’re excited there’s finally Italian in town, so we’re excited to give Starkville what they want.”
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New Food on the Block
What’s For Dinner?
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The concept for Cindy Brown’s What’s For Dinner allows busy, working families and individuals to enjoy home-cooked meals without having to spend their evening preparing their food. Brown creates casseroles, lasagnas, dips, desserts and more and displays them in the freezers at her business, so customers can come in, choose what they want to eat for dinner, take it home and cook it. Walking into the business located at 506-1 Academy Road, Brown said many customers told her it feels like they’re at home. The warm, rustic kitchen feel and enough seating for 20 to 24 people allows customers to feel like they can pull up a chair, sit, and visit. Brown said taking time to be with her customers is what is most important to her as a business-owner. “The cooking, I like doing that, but I enjoy people,” Brown said. “I enjoy the conversations – when people come in here and they feel at home enough they come over and sit on a wooden bench. You got to take the time with people, and I think that means a lot to them.” Since opening July 2, Brown said the welcome she has received by Starkville residents has been overwhelming, and her food is selling almost as fast as she can put it on the shelf. She said she appreciates the support she has received from the community, from her landlord Chris Pollan to customers and community members. Brown creates anything from lasagna, casseroles and chicken rotel to lemon bars, hummingbird cake and tomato pies, with a few side options like dips and cheesy broccoli in between. She also offers the option to have food heated before pick-up, adding more convenience for her customers. She is working on posting the menu online and setting up social media pages for the new business. What’s For Dinner is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Brown plans to offer tailgating specials on game Saturdays during Mississippi State University football season this fall. The restaurant is the second of its kind for Brown. She was open previously from 2002 to 2006 and reopened with the goal of once again providing convenient home-cooked meals to busy Starkville residents.
Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)
A Taste of New Orleans
10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Everyday • 504 Academy Rd • Starkville • 662-323-0444 August 2018 | 51
Christian Changes Counseling and Recovery Center Licensed Professional Counseling from a Christian Perspective
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Molly May Shares Her Story Written by Joe Lee
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ast fall I was asked to write a breast cancer awareness story for Town and Gown Magazine about Molly May, whose year as Miss Mississippi State University was drawing to a close. I still have the handwritten notes I took while on the phone with Executive Editor Courtney Cox: OUTGOING MISS MSU / FROM HOUSTON MS / MSU GRAD The next scribbled line still gets my attention: AGE 23 / BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR / DOUBLE MASTECTOMY AT 19 Both Molly and her mother, Debra — also a breast cancer survivor — assured me of their comfort in discussing their journeys. Poignant moments from those interviews have stayed with me, such as Molly, when learning at age eight that her mother had cancer, running for the safety of a swing at a nearby park and thinking that if she swung high enough, the reality would be different once back on the ground. But it was meeting Molly at my Rotary club in Flowood that got me thinking — as a full-time book publisher — about straying from the usual mystery/suspense fiction of Dogwood Press and giving an inspirational memoir/good works book a try. As if silently asking that question of my fellow Rotarians, I gazed around the room. There were no whispers, no furtive glances at cell phones. Molly had them riveted with the brutal honesty of her talk. We soon discussed what would ultimately become My Crowning Achievement (Beating Cancer). Once I was definite about publishing her, I decided that a portion of proceeds of all copies sold would benefit Batson Hospital in Jackson and Le Bonheur in Memphis. As I told Molly from the beginning, I was never motivated by the possibility of her winning the 2018 Miss Mississippi pageant — her story is timeless, and can impact many lives for years to come. Molly will visit bookstores, public libraries, churches, and other venues this fall to autograph copies of her book. She’ll be glad to see you — never met a stranger — and in addition to discussing Caps That Care (the nonprofit she formed with Debra to collect bandannas and soft caps for cancer patients to wear in lieu of wigs), she’ll share observations like this: “ I’ve learned that all pain is worth suffering through. I learned how to step out on faith in ways I could not do before. I am shown daily proof through lives I’ve touched that what I went through was one hundred percent worth it. It gives me overwhelming peace to know that I am doing something good — that I am helping comfort someone who’s hurting — with each hat I donate, each letter I send, and each person I meet.” Those words, taken from the pages of My Crowning Achievement (Beating Cancer), sum up for me what Molly May is all about— finding silver linings in her own suffering and paying forward the kindnesses shown to her. And now this powerful little book, loaded with poignant photos as well as remarkably insightful comments from such a young person, is finally here. Keep up the great work, Molly. It is an honor to publish you. Joe Lee is an author, publisher, MSU graduate, and a contributor to Town and Gown.
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Send Off Party for Distinguished Young Woman Lori Feng Photos by Laura Daniels • July 13th, 2018
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4 1. Mia Roberso, Derriyana Mays, Lori Feng, Adriana Mays and Clare Seo 2. Gary, Lori, Max and Li Feng 3. Susan Keith, Abigail Musser, Lori Feng and Rima Musser
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Summer Scholars Writer’s Camp 36th Annual Play Photos by Margaret McMullen • July 13th, 2018
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Liza Tye & Co Third Birthday Party Photos submitted • July 21, 2018
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4 1. Anna Price, Jan Bittle and Julie Kuhn 2. Marsha Synnott, Deana Card and Kathy Raye 3. Shirley Skinner, Maril Jackson and Nikki Roberson 4. Brenda Shawyer and Amy Tuck
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www.destinationgrandj.com August 2018 | 57
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AUGUST 31
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