Best of Jackson, a BOOM Jackson Magazine: May/June 2013

FREE // Vol. 6, No. 1May - June 2013

a boom jackson magazine

Summer Style

MMA’s Big Decade, p 22LaCru’s Smooth Future, p 28The Magic of Martin’s, p 60

Summer StyleSummer StyleGet Roguish Pattern and Color

Summer StyleSummer StyleGet Get

Summer StyleGet

Summer StyleRoguish Pattern

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pp 31 - 36

&&&Who’s WhoWhat’s What&&Who’s WhoWho’s Who&Who’s Who&

Best of2013

2 May - June 2013 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com | bestofjackson.com

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4 May - June 2013 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com|bestofjackson.com

In 2008, a group of business and com-munity leaders traveled from the Greater Jackson area to Oklahoma City, where they met with Mayor Mick Cornett. The mayor outlined for the group exactly what had taken them from a low-growth town in the 1990s to the thriving metro area that they are today—the No. 1 most affordable city, “Top 5” for fastest growing, “Top 10” for job growth and a top-ranked city for young pro-fessionals.

The trick? They started with a plan.What Oklahoma City had

learned was that Americans weren’t “chasing jobs” any more, as Mayor Cornett put it in a recent talk to Greater Jackson Chamber Partner-ship (GJCP) members.

After Oklahoma City lost a huge bid for a United Airlines maintenance facil-ity in the 1990s, leaders learned that the city had to be more attractive to work-ers in order to keep and grow employment.

“The paradigm was shifting ... people were choosing where they wanted to live, and the jobs were moving to the people,” Cornett said.

The upshot is that in order to be competi-tive, cities have to be attractive to residents. They have to be exciting for newcomers—and they have to retain their young, edu-cated workers.

Mayor Cornett says he gets some blow-back from older residents who wonder about the emphasis on things such as en-tertainment districts, concerts and down-town living. He says he often responds to

that criticism by explaining to the resident that “we’re creating a city where your kid or your grandkid will want to live.” That’s often enough to get his long-time residents to buy into the vision.

With that lesson learned, the GJCP re-turned to Jackson to begin the work on a 10-year plan to move Jackson toward the fu-ture glimpsed in Oklahoma City. Part of that effort was a comprehensive study, under-taken by Market Street Services of Atlanta, Ga. The study helped the Partnership learn

more about new growth opportunities, the assets that Greater Jackson al-ready has to offer, and the improvements that locals wanted to see happen.

“Once the decision was made to move forward, we conducted a very inclusive and exhausting strategic planning process,” said Duane O’Neill, president and CEO of the GJCP. “This effort had public/private leadership, a 60-member steering committee and

nearly 2,000 individuals who participated in some fashion. The implantation effort was announced in late 2012. Now, in 2013, the real work on all the major initiatives has begun.”

The steering committee settled on 10 dif-ferent areas of focus: Healthcare, Regional Infrastructure, Aerospace, Regional Market-ing, Lake Development, Core City, Regional Trails System, Talent Attraction, Arts and Culture, and Education. All 10 areas are seen as vital for working in lockstep over a 10-year period to improve quality of life and

Vision 2022: Jackson’s 10-Year Plan

GreaterJackson

Chamber Partnership

B O O M J A C K S O N

S P O N S O R

201 S President StreetJackson, MS 39201

601-948-7575greaterjacksonpartnership.com

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Vision 2022’s Areas of Focus

1. Healthcare2. Regional Infrastructure

3. Aerospace4. Regional Marketing5. Lake Development

6. Core City7. Regional Trails System

8. Talent Attraction9. Arts and Culture

10. Education

5 Work.Live.Play.Prosper.

Vision 2022: Jackson’s 10-Year Plan

drive economic growth in metro Jack-son; with the launch of Vision 2022 in 2012, the 10 major areas started splitting into committees and subcom-mittees to begin to put the 10-year plan into action.

Ravi Raju developed a stronger in-terest in Jackson’s future in 2006, af-ter going through Leadership Greater Jackson—a year-long training and net-working program.

Although he was born and raised in Jackson, Raju, who works as Director of Solutions Marketing at the global technology company iTron, was sur-prised to learn so much more about the city and its potential for growth. That lead him to work with the GJCP and Vision 2022, where he is chair of the Talent Attraction committee.

“One of the really surprising things for me to come out of the Market Street study was the fact that—even though Jackson isn’t known as a col-lege town—it really is based on the number of students in colleges and universities in the Greater Jackson area. That’s a tremendous talent pool that we need to keep,” Raju said.

The Talent Attraction committee has begun its work by focusing on three

areas—retaining local graduates, at-tracting graduates from southeastern universities and having entertaining recruitment and welcome events for newcomers or potential newcomers to the area. Raju also wants to make sure that groups that already do these things—young professional groups, lo-cal chambers—don’t duplicate efforts, but instead are able to communicate and coordinate.

“We are engaging the young pro-fessionals and others to help iden-

tify those needs in our region,” O’Neill said. “Their enthusiasm and energy to be involved in the process has already been very encouraging.”

The results could be striking, some-thing that Raju knows firsthand—as a senior vice president at local tech firm Smart-Sync (recently acquired by iTron), he saw his company do its best to hire local tal-ent, but still be forced to look outside of the Metro.

“We tried all sorts of creative things—and had some success—but we could have benefitted from the efforts of a committee like this,” Raju said.

The key, he says, is com-mitted people who love Jackson and really want to make a difference.

“None of this happens without a really good group of people—and that’s what we have,” Raju said.

Jeff Good, co-owner of Mangia Bene (the company behind local res-taurants BRAVO!, Broad Street and Sal & Mookie’s), was recruited into the Vi-

sion 2022 process to chair the Core City com-mittee, which focuses on infrastructure and qual-ity-of-life improvements in the city of Jackson. The theory follows that if the “core” of your com-munity isn’t doing well, the areas that surround it won’t, either.

“We have learned from other communities that it is important to make the core strong,” O’Neill said. “Jackson

must be successful for the region to prosper. The ‘One Lake Proj-ect’ is a huge game changer. A Con-vention Center Hotel is another. The team that is beginning the work on the Core City initiatives has identified a number of other goals.”

The Core City committee is working on projects as diverse as beautifica-tion, a streetcar initiative, affordable housing, an event park—even a plan to extend the boundaries of downtown Jackson, which could help more Jack-son businesses take advantage of

opportunities such as tax credits and incentives.

Good notes that it’s an effort that requires a great deal of coordination and management—he’s even gone so far as to enlist Internet developers to

work on a Web-based project manage-ment system for Vision 2022—one that helps coordinate volunteers and can be used to communicate progress to the outside world.

“I’m excited about helping to cre-ate momentum for the next 10 years,” said Good. “We’re working toward a sustained effort for the community to bring life to the very things that they want to see happen. This is a chance to facilitate what we’ve said we want to do together.”

Good also points out that the pro-cess is ongoing and that volunteers are welcome on the Core City commit-tees and many others throughout the Vision 2022 initiative.

“It’s wide open to anyone to partici-pate,” Good said. “It’s our job to work together and network to make the best possible committees.”

“Within 10 years we envision a Greater Jackson region working across lines of jurisdictions and accomplish-ing many of the initiatives of the Vision 2022 plan,” O’Neill said. “By then we hope to see the region listed as one of the ‘Best Places’ to live and visit.”

For more information or to get involved in Vision 2022, you can call the GJCP at 601-948-7575 or visit their website at www.greaterjacksonpartnership.com.

Creating a system of regional trails is part of the 10-year plan.

Headed by Ravi Raju (second from left, front) the Talent Attraction committee is working to recruit and retain workers in Jackson.

www.mbhs.org/qualityleader1225 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39202 | 601.948.6262

In 2013, Baptist Medical Center has more 5-Star Ratings from HealthGradesthan any other hospital in Jackson.At Baptist Health Systems, we define quality in a variety of ways including clinical quality of care, credentials, and patient experience. As a patient, you might see quality of your medical services defined by the cleanliness of the facility or how a health care employee cared for you during your medical visit. Increasingly, more organizations provide information about the quality of care at hospitals to help patients make more informed decisions. We are dedicated

to serving as a quality leader both locally and nationally by supporting the use of valid, reliable data to assure the delivery of optimal patient care. We collect data about conditions, treatments and outcomes. This data helps us to understand what we are doing that is working and where we might improve our practices for the best possible patient outcomes. Baptist voluntarily participates in a variety of measurements for health care quality.

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in the Nation for

BEST HOSPITALS

The Following Is Not For Print/For Information Only Placement: BOOM Jackson Magazine. 04/2013.8.375 x 10.875”. Commissioned by Robby Channell.(eMac/Users/mbhs/Documents/PROJECTS/Ads/System/100 Best HG ad)

“One thing that has remained solid throughout (the years) is the consistency of our supporters. ... They want to support local artists, and there is just so much talent here.”

-Marcy Nessel, p 37

“One thing that “One thing that has remained solid has remained solid throughout (the years) throughout (the years) is the consistency of our is the consistency of our supporters. ... They want supporters. ... They want to support local artists, to support local artists, and there is just so much and there is just so much talent here.”talent here.”

-Marcy Nessel, p 37-Marcy Nessel, p 37

11JXNThe best never stop getting better around here.

12PeopleSPIN MASTERDJ Young Venom’s star is on the rise.

14INSTA-ARTKeep up with Josh Hailey’s Photomerica, smart-app style.

16PEEKABOOLori Ferguson shows us how to stay stylish on the go.

18TRIPLE THREATIs Jimmy Quinn really that mean?

20CATCHING COLLETTEWhat’s new for the King of Karaoke?

22Community and CultureA PLACE FOR ARTSpend a day at the Mississippi Museum of Art.

26A BUMP IN THE ROADGet the scoop on Fortifi cation Street.

26GET A LITTLE FURRYAdopt a pet part-time at CARA.

28Urban LivingSMOOTH OPERATORStephanie Barnes is taking the little salon that could to the next level.

30SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTMaster tailor Al Guevara knows the tricks to looking and feeling your best.

31COLOR BOMBGo shopping with two women who aren’t afraid of piling on the color and pattern.

34SHARP-DRESSED MANGet a bit Roguish with your closet this season.

37CONTEMPORARY COOLFischer Galleries exposes visitors to new forms of art.

40PLAY LIKE A KIDMCM makes a name for itself as an adult-friendly event space.

41Visit JacksonPaid Advertising Section

50Food and Drink IN ITS PRIMEOne of the oldest restaurants in Jackson, Primos has no plans to slow down soon.

52MEATLESS MONDAYGo vegan at High Noon Café.

54WINE FOR THOUGHTImpress your wino friends with Mitchell Earry’s expert advice.

55BIZARRE TREATSWhen’s the last time you tried fi sh heads or bamboo fungus?

56 FINGER-LICKIN’At E & L’s, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to rib heaven

60Nightlife and MusicDIVE INHipsters, geezers, musicians and more. Meet the colorful characters of Martin’s Lounge.

64PUB QUIZFast facts on everyone’s favorite Irish watering hole.

65SWEET AND SOUR‘Tis the season for Babaritas.

66BLUESMANJarekus Singleton shoots and scores with his new dream of making music.

68Beyond Jackson LUCK BE A LADYTry your chances in Vicksburg on the craps table, roulette wheel or slot machines.

70EventsThe sun is out, so where are you?

74Local ListDavid Watkins shares his Jackson visions.

Editor in ChiefDonna Ladd

Art DirectorKristin Brenemen

Managing EditorKathleen Morrison Mitchell

Assistant EditorsLeigh Horn // Molly Lehmuller

Copy EditorRonni Mott

EditorialWriters

Ross Cabell // Turry Flucker // Brent Hearn Pamela Hosey // Darnell Jackson // Jorge JiminezGenevieve Legacy // Dawn Macke // Andrew Ousley

Julian Rankin // Julie Skipper // Mark Ward

Listings Editor // Latasha Willis

InternsNneka Ayozie // Bethany Bridges // Krista Davis

Amber Helsel // Mo Wilson

Photography

Staff Photographer // Trip Burns

Photographer // Tate K. Nations

Ad DesignAndrea Thomas

Design InternMelvin Thigpen

Business and SalesAdvertising Director // Kimberly Griffin

Account Executives David Rahaim // Brad Young

Sales Assistant // Samantha Towers

Director of Operations // David Joseph

Distribution Manager // Richard Laswell

Executive Assistant // Erica Crunkilton

PublisherTodd Stauffer

CONTACT US

Letters to the Editor // [email protected]

Story ideas and pitches // [email protected]

Ad Sales // [email protected]

BOOM Jackson P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, MS 39296

p 601.362.6121 f 601.510.9019Would you like copies of BOOM Jackson for recruiting, welcome packets or other corporate, institutional or

educational uses? Call 601.362.6121 x17 or email [email protected].

BOOM Jackson is a publication of Jackson Free Press Inc. BOOM Jackson, which publishes every other month, focuses on the urban experience in

Jackson, Miss., emphasizing entrepreneurship, economic growth, culture, style and city life. © 2013 Jackson Free Press Inc.

boomjack

son.com editor’s note

Celebrate, We Will

As this issue of BOOM Jackson magazine hits the streets, I am celebrating one year with this company. I started work at Jack-

son Free Press Inc. May 7, 2012—three days after moving 1,500 miles from Bos-ton back to Jackson and only three weeks before getting mar-ried. It was a trial by fire, a cannonball into adulthood—and I don’t think I’ve caught my breath since. In the weeks lead-ing up to my JFP-iver-sary, I’ve been marvel-ing at where the time went. I have a stack of 52 Jackson Free Press papers and four BOOM Jackson magazines with my brainstorm-ing, writing and edit-ing all over them—and yet, it feels like my first day was not so long ago. When I really stop and think about it, it’s amazing how much we’ve accomplished, and how much change and growth has occurred in the company in the last 12 months. We threw two huge parties—JFP Chick Ball and the Best of Jackson bash—and lots of little ones. We covered breaking news, long-simmering stories, local events, joyous occasions, sad passings and more—more than I could possibly describe in this space. We launched a new website with bet-ter mobile capabilities, celebrated 10 years of the JFP with a new redesigned look, and took BOOM Jackson from quarterly to bimonthly. And it all culminates—at least, for this moment, since we’ve still got a lot of grow-ing planned—in this special issue: the Best of Jackson magazine. Here we honor all the winners from this year’s contest. Although the annual contest has been a part of the JFP for 11 years now, with the addition of this special issue of BOOM as well as weekly and monthly mini-contests on bestofjackson.com and the Best of Jack-son Facebook page, honoring the great things in our city has become a year-round endeavor. Which is how it should be, really.

There isn’t a season for appreciation or a national Support Your Community Month. It’s something we should do all the time. A couple Sundays ago, I sat in PiE Lounge with my friend Liz, catching up

and making plans for the upcoming weeks—drinks at Underground 119, an event at the Jackson Zoo, dinner at Babalu. We talked about how exciting it is that Fondren is getting a pub and that develop-ers are working toward artists’ lofts downtown on Capitol Street. She filled me in on the de-tails for the latest chef collaboration pop-up at Sal & Mookies. While we were there, a profes-sor from our alma ma-ter, Millsaps College, came in and stopped by

to chat, then later, a friend who had moved back to town did the same. I thought to myself, this is what makes Jackson … well, Jackson. This is the best of the city. We’ve got tons to do, see and eat—but in a community where people ac-tually know one another. We enjoy big-city arts, entertainment and amenities, but live in a town small enough that you can’t go out without seeing friends from lots of dif-ferent social circles. Each day, week and month, we at the JFP and BOOM get to see the good hap-pening all around us and share it with our readers. We hear the folks saying they can’t find anything to do in Jackson, while we can’t find enough time to do and attend all the things we know are happening every week. Just visit jfpevents.com for proof. Flip through these pages and make plans to revisit old favorites or discover new ones. Then get out there with your friends and family and celebrate this thriv-ing, growing, dynamic community we are building for ourselves and for each other. Make it the best.

Cover photo of DJ Young Venom by Trip Burns.

Managing Editor Kathleen MitchellTR

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contributors

1. Amber HelselEditorial intern Amber Helsel, a native of Brandon, holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Ole Miss. She is a silly person who loves writing, photography, food and memes.

2. Bethany BridgesEditorial intern Bethany Bridges is currently a high school history and English teacher. She enjoys discussing politics, watching fam-ily guy, and spending time with her family. Her ultimate goal in life is to raise a happy and sane family.

3. Nneka AyozieEditorial intern Nneka Ayozie is a senior mass communications major at Jackson State University. She is a Jackson native and gradu-ate of the Murrah High School. She enjoys watching movies, traveling, talking to any one who will listen and shopping.

4. Mo WilsonMo Wilson is a JFP editorial intern and Millsaps student. He runs a music blog, punkrocky.wordpress.com. He enjoys pizza, the Internet, dancing alone is his bedroom, social-justice politics and giggling.


JEA IS MOVING!

JEA’s Jackson location is moving right across the street this summer! Visit us in our new location for these services and more:

• LASIK• Eye/Contact Lens Exams• Cataract Surgery

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RELOCATING ACROSS THE STREET THIS SUMMER 1200 NORTH STATE STREET, JACKSON

JACKSON 601.353.2020 | CLINTON 601.924.9750 | MADISON 601.853.2020 | WWW.JACKSONEYE.COM | ©2013 Jackson Eye Associates

Follow your favorite non-profits and businesses for alerts, deals and more!


BOOM Jackson, The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine, is distributed in more than 200 locations in the Jackson metro,including area grocery stories, high-traffic businesses and curbside “BOOM boxes.” BOOM is placed in business-classhotels in the region, and is distributed by local chambers and visitor’s bureaus. Copies are available for meetings,trainings and recruiting by local companies and organizations. Subscriptions are available for $18/year for shipping andhandling costs. Call 601.362.6121 x11 for ad information. Boom Jackson is a publication of Jackson Free Press, Inc.

The City ’s Business and Li festy le Magazine. . . now 6 t imes a year !

March 2013Editor ia l :- Coolest Offi ces- Spring Offi ce Fashion- Parades!- Spring Menu Guide

Deadl ines:- Ad Reserved: 2/1/13- Ad Final: 2/15/13

July 2013Editor ia l :- Business of Healthcare- Young Infl uentials- Jackson’s Best Doctors- Road Trips- Summer Menu Guide


May 2013Editor ia l :- Best of Jackson 2013: Food, Nightlife, People, Community- Meeting Planner- DineJackson listings


September 2013Editor ia l :- Fall Food and Fashion- Arts & Events: The Season- The Business of Football- Fall Menu Guide- Beauty/Spa/Salon Guide


November 2013Editor ia l :- Holiday Entertaining- Party Fashion- Local Gift Guide- Winter Menu Guide


January 2014Editor ia l :- Hitched Weddings- Wedding Announcements- Power Couples- Romantic Fashion- New Year Resolutions


BOOM Jackson, The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine, is distributed in more than 200 locations in the Jackson metro, including area grocery stories, high-traffi c businesses and curbside “BOOM boxes.” BOOM is placed in business-class hotels in the region, and is distributed by local chambers and visitor’s bureaus. Copies are available for meetings, trainings and recruiting by local companies and organizations. Subscriptions are available for $18/year for shipping and handling costs. Call 601-362-6121 x11 for more information. Boom Jackson is a publication of Jackson Free Press, Inc.





























March 2014Editorial:- Coolest Offices- Spring Office Fashion- Parades!- Spring Menu Guide

Deadlines:- Ad Reserved: 2/3/14- Ad Final: 2/17/14

May 2014Editorial:- Best of Jackson 2014 Winners:

Food, Nightlife, People, Community

Deadlines:- Ad Reserved: 3/31/14- Ad Final: 4/7/14

FREE//Vol. 6, No. 1May - June 2013


Summer Style




Summer StyleGet


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Best of2013

Advert ise: 601.362.6121 ext . 11

People p 12 // Community and Culture p 22 // Urban Living p 28 Food and Drink p 50 // Nightlife and Music p 60 // Beyond Jackson p 68


With 154 categories, we’ve got a lot of lo-cal love to go around. Jackson has many

more superlative people, places and things, though, so we’re holding weekly mini-con-tests on the Best of Jackson Facebook page (and soon at bestofjackson.com) to honor those that might not make the big race in December. Our first month is all about hair, with a fiery redhead, a beastly beard, a manly moustache and a steely, shiny bald head join-ing the ranks of the Best of Jackson.

LindseyCaCamoBest Redhead

2nd: Sara Murphy3rd: Keeton Moore

Good Showing: Therese Apel

mattGordonBest Beard

2nd: Jason Roberson3rd: Brandon Blacklidge

Good Showing: William Bill Taylor

couRtesy Lindsey cacamo; couRtesy BRad Justice; couRtesy matt goRdon; couRtesy fRank henn

BradJustiCeBest Bald Head

2nd: Craig Hendry3rd: Brent Hearn

Good Showing: Scott Albert Johnson

FrankHennBest Moustache

2nd: Robert Davidson 3rd: Howard Ballou

Good Showing: Hal White

Best Local Club DJ; Best Campaigner for the Best of Jackson Award: Phillip “DJ

Young Venom” Rollins

Best Local Club DJSecond: DJ Jonasty / Third: DJ Stache / Good Showing: DJ Cadillac; DJ Reign; DJ Unpredictable

Best Campaigner for the Best of Jackson AwardSecond: Jeff Good / Third: Janis Boersma / Good Showing: Chris Paige; Crystal Williams; Griff Howard


The People’s DJ // by Nneka Ayozie

The pressure to perform was intense. The lights were hot, and tensions were high. To say that a battle between Jackson’s local deejays is extreme

would be an understatement. After crushing DJ Kool Laid in the first round, holding his own against the Nasty Sho in the second round, and defeating DJ T. Lewis in the third round at the Sipp Hop DJ battle at Club Dreams in Jackson three years ago, Phillip “DJ Young Venom” Rollins finally felt like he had arrived. Rollins remains modest, though. “I do it because I can,” he says. His perspective on life has brought him where he is today: in the spot-light of the Jackson music scene. Rollins is a

28-year-old Jackson native. A graduate of Madi-son Central High School, he attended Jackson State University, but left after his grandmother passed away. Shortly after her death, he decided to pursue his passion for music. To raise funds for equipment, Rollins worked at O’Charley’s in Pearl. After five months, at age 20, Rollins purchased equipment and threw himself into

developing his craft, playing on the radio and at events. Under the tutelage of DJ Scrap Dirty and DJ Dot of Hot 97.7, Rollins grew to be one of the best deejays in the Jackson metro. Rollins’ first gig, in 2004, took him by sur-prise: He was hired to play at the Mississippi School for the Deaf. He laughs at the memory. “The teacher was like, ‘You can play as loud as you want,’” he says. “It was a fun dance. It was a learning experience and an eye-opening experi-ence. But it was also really weird for my first gig to be at the school of the deaf.” His favorite memory, though, comes from time Rollins spent at Seven*Studioz in 2005. “There were seven of us this night, literally a

deejay in every room. We ended up just saying, ‘Hey, let’s just deejay out-side.’ We moved our stuff outside, put a speaker out there, and just started playing,” he says. “And next thing you know it was an impromptu block party at midnight. Everybody that was inside came outside, and it was just insane. I feel that moment really solidified me as a deejay.” Rollins’ favorite venues are un-traditional, such as the Barefield Workplace Solutions office sup-ply store—where he deejayed for

the BOOM Jackson “Mad Men” party in 2011—and the Mosquito or Suite 106, an outdoor space and poetry studio, respectively. “Whenever I deejay at

SummerHouse (furniture store), I get to play what I want. So I have fun deejaying there, when-ever they do book me,” Rollins says. Besides quirkier locations, Rollins takes deejay gigs at weddings, parties, clubs and other events. He’s played for numerous artists, includ-ing 5th Child, Big K.R.I.T., 7even:Thirty and Py-Infamous; and at events such as Jubilee!JAM,

Zoo Brew and the Crossroads Film Festival. In 2011, Rollins decided to give back to his community by becoming a youth justice orga-nizer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. In this capacity, Rollins works with parent advocacy groups, helps kids with disabili-ties, and organizes and hosts the Annual Youth Hip Hop Summit. This year, the ACLU hosts its sixth summit in July. “We house them at Millsaps (College), we do social-justice workshops, and we do hip-hop workshops where we teach them the four elements of hip-hop: break dancing, rap and poetry, deejaying and (legal street art) graffiti,” Rollins says. Rollins also gives back to his fellow deejays by organizing and hosting a record swap called 4 the Record where record dealers from all over come to sell records. “It’s really about the music,” Rollins says. “It gives them a chance to buy re-cords that you don’t regularly find.” 4 the Record is in its third year, with the next swap scheduled for June 1 at Hal & Mal’s. In his off time, you might find DJ Young Venom reading a comic book. A self-proclaimed nerd, Rollins says his stage name came from Marvel Comics. “Venom was actually the antihe-ro of Spiderman. I considered him the black Spi-derman, before there actually was a black Spider-man,” Rollins says. “DJ Black Spiderman doesn’t sound good so, I chose DJ Young Venom.” Although many may call him DJ Young Venom, he’ll always be Phillip Rollins to a few, including his fiancée, Tasha Anderson. The pair has been together since 2008 and in 2010, Ander-son gave Rollins new inspiration: a son. When Rollins isn’t making crowds of people swoon with mellow beats or helping the youth through music, he’s spending time with his 3-year-old son Riley. “I want to show my son that you don’t have to be stuck doing what you don’t want to do. You can have a career doing what you love and be successful,” Rollins says.

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DJ Young Venom plays at everything from pop-up parties to weddings to spin battles.


BestLocalClubDJ;BestCampaignerfortheBestofJacksonAward:Phillip“DJ

YoungVenom”Rollins

BestLocalClubDJSecond: DJ Jonasty / Third: DJStache / Good Showing: DJCadillac;DJReign;DJUnpredictable

Best Campaigner for theBestofJacksonAwardSecond: JeffGood / Third: JanisBoersma / Good Showing: Chris Paige; Crystal Williams;GriffHoward

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Josh Hailey, again this year’s Best Visual Artist, spent most of 2012 on the road, documenting the country for his latest endeavor, Photamerica.

He describes the project as “a journey and interpretation of modern America through images.” Although he can be thousands of miles away from his fans, he has found a way to take them all with him, using the smart-phone app Instagram. Hailey uses Instagram to capture both the majesty of America’s landscape and the quirkiness of its people. His seemingly sun-bleached and worn images of American land-scapes, buildings and people invoke a feeling of timeless American spirit. These un-ironic examples of patriotism and Americana do not come off overbearingly cheesy, a potential danger of such a project. The Photomerica van made it to 35 states last year, and Hailey plans to hit his 50-state goal in 2013. Follow him on Instagram at @joshhailey and see more photos and videos at photamerica.com. Ride on Josh Hailey, ride on.

Road Warrior// by Mo Wilson

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Josh Hailey creates canvases of Instagram photo collages; he plans to sell collections for each of the 50 states.

BestJacksonVisualArtist:JoshHailey

joshhaileystudio.com

second: Wyatt Waters (307 Jefferson st., Clinton, 601.925.8115, wyattwaters.com) / Third: GingerWilliams-Cook (gingerwilliams.net) / good showing: EllenLangford (ellenlangford.com); TonyDavenport; WilliamGoodman (enhancedmixture.com)

BestArchitect:JeffSeaboldSeabold Architectural Studio (2819 N. State

St., 769.216.3101)

second: Michael Boerner, Wier+Boerner (2906 n. state st., suite 106, 601.321.9107) / Third: DuvallDecker Architects (2915 n. state st., 601.713.1128) / good showing: AnnSomers,Cooke Douglass Farr lemons (3100 n. state st., suite 200, 601.366.3110); DougDale,Dale partners architects (188 e. Capital st., suite 250, 601.352.5411); Neil Polen, seabold architectural studio (2819 n. state st., 769.216.3101); RobFarr,Cooke Douglass Farr lemons(3100 n. state st., suite 200, 601.366.3110)

BestTVPersonality:BarbieBassett(WLBT)

second: MaggieWade(WlBT) / Third: HowardBallou(WlBT) / good showing: BertCase (WlBT);MeganWest(WapT);RobJay(WlBT)

BestBusinessOwner:JeffGoodMangia Bene Catering and Dollars & Sense

Creative Consulting (3317 N. State St., 601.362.2900)

second: Stephanie Barnes, laCru salon (5352 lakeland Drive, suite 600, Flowood, 601.992.7980) / Third: ByronKnight, sneaky Beans (2914 n. state st., 601.487.6349) / good showing: Chris Jacobs,The islander (1220 e. northside Drive, suite 100, 601.366.5441); Chris Paige, Custom Cuts & styles (2445 Terry road, 601.321.9292); Lynn JohnsonO’Daniel,headgames salon (5731 old Canton road, 601.956.5052)

BestPublicFigure:Gov.PhilBryant

second: HarveyJohnsonJr. / Third: JeffGood / good showing: Barbie Bassett; Colendula Green; TyroneLewis; WilliamWinter

BestVisionary:DavidWatkinsPresident, Watkins Development,

601.326.7610

second: Simon Hamburg (lemuria Books em-ployee and musician, deceased,); Third: Jeff Good (Mangia Bene Catering, 601.362.2900); good showing: Malcolm White (executive Director, Mississippi arts Commission, 501 n. West st., suite 1101-a, 601.359.6030); BenAllen (president, Down-town Jackson partners, 308 e. pearl st., suite 101, 601.353.9800); danieljohnson(artist)

BestRisingEntrepreneur:StephanieBarnes

LaCru Salon (5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 600, Flowood, 601. 992.7980,

lacrusalon.com)

second: ChrisPaige / Third (tie): MarissaSimms;L.SherieDean / good showing: BradReeves; CharlesandTalamiekaBrice; TerrySullivan

BesT oF JaCkson 2013: PeoPle from page 13


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BEST OF JACKSON 2013: PEOPLE from page 14

Craig Noone ‘Rock It Out’ Best New Chef: Matthew Kajdan Parlor Market (115 W. Capitol St., 601.360.0090, parlormarket.com)

Second: Karl Gorline, BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601.982.8111) / Third (tie): Josh Speights, Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortifi cation St., 601.948.0055); Josh Marks (fresh from “Masterchef” stint)

Best Filmmaker: Anita Modak-Truran

Second: Jim Dollarhide / Third: Robby Piantinida / Good Showing: Amile Wilson; Damien Blaylock; Edward Saint Pé

Best Doctor: Manisha Sethi6919 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland,

601.956.0911 Second: Timothy Quinn (Quinn Healthcare, 768 Avery Blvd. N, Ridgeland, 601.487.6482) / Third: Ruth Fredericks / Good Showing: Bard Johnston (Primary Care Center, 401 Baptist Drive, Suite 104, Madison, 601.605.3858); Dan Woodliff (Internal Medicine Group, 971 Lakeland Drive, Suite 250, 601.982.1283); Joe Terry (MEA Medical Clinic, 935 Highway 51, Madison, 601.856.5986

Best Local Singer/Songwriter: Taylor Hildebrand

Second: Jason Turner / Third: Kerry Thomas / Good Showing: Cody Cox; Hunter Gibson; Richard Lee Davis

Best Barista: Caitlin McNally CoxSneaky Beans (2194 N. State St.,

601.487.6349)

Second: Cody Cox, Cups: An Espresso Café (Fondren, 2757 Old Canton Road, 601.362.7422) / India Jade Clark, Cups: An Espresso Café (Downtown, 210 E. Capitol St., 601.352.0514) / Third: Amanda Ivers, Cups: An Espresso Café (Fondren, 2757 Old Canton Road, 601.362.7422) / Good Showing: Byron Knight,Sneaky Beans (2914 N. State St., 601.487.6349); Emily Daniels, Seattle Drip (377 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.898.9647); Jay Humphries, Sneaky Beans (2914 N. State St., 601.487.6349); Joey Tannehill, Cups: An Espresso Café (Multiple Locations, cupsespressocafe.com)


Peekaboo Lori Ferguson: Best Hair Stylist // by Nneka Ayozie // photos by Trip Burns

Lori Ferguson: Best Hair Stylist

This year’s Best of Jackson Best Hairstylist is a daring, Ole Miss football-loving patri-ot. A Brandon native, Lori Ferguson graduated from Brandon High School in 1999 before attending Hinds Community College, where she trained in the barber/styl-ist program. Since 2004, Ferguson has worked with LaCru Salon in Flowood and is

currently a senior stylist there. When she is not using a friend or family member as a test subject (for hairstyling pur-poses only), she’s out at the pool or at an Ole Miss football game. She let us peek into her bag to fi nd out what products she can’t leave home without.

Best Hair Stylist: Lori Ferguson, LaCru SalonLaCru Salon (5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 600, Flowood,

601.992.7980, lacrusalon.com)

Second: Crystal Williams, HeadGames Hair Studio (6712 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.956.5052) / Third: Lacey Norris, Lacey’s Salon and Accessories (1935 Lakeland Drive, Suite C, 601.397.6398) / Good Standing: Griff Howard, Ritz Salon (574 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.856.4330); Eddie Outlaw, William Wallace Salon (2939 Old Canton Road, 601.982.8300); Claire Kinsey, Ulta (748 MacKenzie Lane, Flowood, 601-992-7422).

iPhoneGlovesNARS makeup palettes, lipstick and lip gloss

1.2.3.

Bumble and Bumble mini classic hairsprayAviator sunglasses

4.

5.

Key ringWalletTrue Blue Spa hand lotionGreen tea gum

6.7.8.

9.

Green earringsGold chain braceletEssie nail polish

10.11.

12.

Watch for the 2014 ballot in November at bestofjackson.com


ALittleAsianintheEquation

The secret to Brad Regan’s cosmopolitan good looks might be in the anime sweep of his coifed hair or his colorful sleeve tattoo, but his Korean American DNA mix gives him an edge—he sports the look better than most. At 18, his

first job was in a nightclub, hauling ass as a barback. At the ripe old age of 29, Regan puts his nightclub bartending skills to work at restaurant hotspot, Julep, with one big exception: no plastic. “I’m really fast, I like high volume. It sounds cocky but, the truth is, I wash martini glasses and rocks glasses all night long,” Regan says. “I’m the highest paid dishwasher in town.”

SexiestBartender(Female):ChristinaTaylor

formerly of Club Magoo’sSecond(tie):JillianBolton,Table100(100RidgeWay, Flowood, 601.420.4202); Tiffanie Ransome,Table100(100RidgeWay,Flowood,601.420.4202)/ Third: Ashley Matlock, The Islander SeafoodandOysterHouse(1220E.NorthsideDrive,Suite100,601.366.5441)/GoodShowing:AlysonBrady,Time Out Sports Café (6270 Old Canton Road,601.978.1839); Ashley Lewis, The Bulldog (6111RidgewoodRoad,601.978.3502);BobbieJoKemp,MississippiLegendsGrill(5352Highway25,Suite50,601.919.1165)

BestBartenderSecond: Jamie Moss, Fenian’s Pub (901 E.Fortification St., 601.948.0055) / Third: HaleyPennock,SoulshinePizzaFactory (5253Highway25, Suite 1100, Flowood, 601.919.2000) / GoodShowing: Robert Arender, Parlor Market (115W. Capitol St., 601.360.0090); Tiffanie Ransome,Table100(100RidgeWay,Flowood,601.420.4202);Trevor Palmer, Club Magoo’s (824 S. State St.,601.487.8710)

SexiestBartender(Male)Second: Jamie Moss, Fenian’s Pub (901 E.Fortification St., 601.948.0055) / Third: JeremyGostkowski,BabaluTacosandTapas(622DulingAve., Suite 106, 601.366.5757) / Good Showing:JohnHime, The Bulldog (6111 Ridgewood Road,601.978.3502); John Ingram, Parlor Market (115W.CapitolSt.,601.360.0090);TrevorPalmer,ClubMagoo’s(824S.StateSt.,601.487.8710)

BestGospelArtist:DathanThigpen

Second: Laurie Walker / Third: Mississippi MassChoir / Good Showing: Chandra Wise; RhondaChambers;Di’Marco“Twiceborn”Baskins

BestDentist:PaulaStewart4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 235,

601.987.8722

Second: Jim Ed Watson (Kool Smiles, 1437 OldSquareRoad,601.366.7645)/Third:RustyRiley(4500Interstate 55 N., Suite 238, 601.366.1117) / GoodShowing: Sarah Carlisle (Carlisle Family Dentistry,119 Colony Crossing Way, Madison, 601.345.4024);TomStewart(5800RidgewoodRoad,601.956.8364)

BestFacialist/Esthetician:LayaParisi

Body Anew Medical Spa (113 W. Jackson St., Suite 1-A, Ridgeland, 601.605.0452,

bodyanewmedicalspa.com)

Second: Rachel McDuffie, Aqua The Day Spa (1000HighlandColonyParkway,Suite8001,601.898.9123)/Third:LindaWhitaker,SunGallery(6712OldCantonRoad, Suite 3, Ridgeland, 601.957.7502) / GoodShowing: RyanHodges,Sanctuary Body Spa at theTownship (340TownshipAve.,Suite200,Ridgeland,601.790.2222);TamarSharp,nomiSpa(734FairviewSt., 601.948.3429); Whitney Davis, Blackledge FaceCenter(1659LeliaDrive,601.981.3033)

BestProfessor:JeanPowersHolmes Community College (412 W.

Ridgeland Ave., 601.856.5400, holmes.cc.us)

Second: James Bowley, Millsaps College (1701N. State St., 601.974.1000) / Third: George Bey III,Millsaps College (1701 N. State St., 601.974.1000)/ Good Showing: Bob Pennebaker, BelhavenUniversity(1500PeachtreeSt.,601.968.5940);GarradLee, Hinds Community College (3925 Sunset Drive,601.366.1450); JayLong,HindsCommunityCollege(3925 Sunset Drive, 601.366.1450); Suzanne MarrsMillsaps College (1701 N. State St., 601.974.1000);Ted Ammon, Millsaps College (1701 N. State St.,601.974.1000)

Friend, Confidante and Mixologist

Christina Taylor is a triple-threat bartender—she’s your best friend, she’ll keep your secrets, and she knows what you like to drink. With blonde hair, pink or brown lowlights and valley-girl charm, she’s an adorable woman who knows

how to put her assets to work. The 26-year-old cocktail waitress turned bartender, formerly of Club Magoo’s, loves people and really digs creating new drinks. A gradu-ate of Ole Miss (“the best school ever”), Taylor feels personality is the key to attrac-tiveness. “I know looks have something to do with it, too,” Taylor says. “All I care about is making sure people have an enjoyable evening.”

// by Genevieve Legacy

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S Sexiest Male & Female Bartenders

BestBartender;SexiestMaleBartender(Male):BradReganJulep Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411,

juleprestaurant.com)

Subscribe (free) at jfpdaily.com to get on invitation list for Best of Jackson party in January and other JFP-BOOM throwdowns year-round.


BestServer/Waitperson:JanisBoersma

Nick’s Restaurant (3000 Old Canton Road, 601.981.8017, nicksrestaurant.com)

Second: Cathy Ambrose Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055) / Third: AnneFriday Hal & Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St., 601.948.0888) / Good Showing: Corrin Escude, BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601.982.8111); Jennifer Breaux formerly of Parlor Market (115 W. Capitol St., 601.360.0090); Patrick Munn Nick’s Restaurant (3000 Old Canton Road, 601.981.8017, nicksrestaurant.com); TraceyVelotas, Ely’s Restaurant & Bar (115 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland, 601.605.6359)

BestUrbanWarrior:Brad“Kamikaze”Franklin

Second: Julie Skipper / Third: Jeff Good / Good showing: BenAllen;KyleHowe; MarikaCackett

BestMassageTherapist:MarthaHowell

Baptist Healthplex (717 Manship St., 601.968.1766, mbhs.org)

Second: BradJackson, Body Anew Medical Spa (113 W. Jackson St., Suite 1-A, Ridgeland, 601.605.0452) / Third (tie): JermaineSims; KaliHorner;WilliamBoren, Mississippi Medical Massage Therapy (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 239, 601.942.5014) / Good Showing: CourtneyMansell, Professional Massage Therapists Group (16 Northtown Drive, Suite 106, 601.966.1459); KristenHampton;StephanieMiller, The Massage Studio LLC (1510 N. State St., Suite 302, 601.624.7784)

BestLocalMusician;BestLocalSinger:JasonTurner

jasonturnerband.com

BestLocalMusicianSecond (tie): HunterGibson;ScottAlbertJohnson / Third: RichardLeeDavis / Good Showing: BarryLeach;RaphaelSemmes;TaylorHildebrand

BestLocalSingerSecond: Akami Graham / Third: Lisa Palmer / Good Showing: Pam Confer; Richard Lee Davis;SkylarLaine

Originally from Phila-delphia, Pa., Irish Catholic Yankee Jim-my Quinn made his

way to the Deep South by at-tending college in Alabama. A graduate of Auburn University, Quinn is a microbiologist full time, a bartender at Fenian’s Pub at night and a comedian recreationally. Quinn, voted the “Mean-est Bartender” in Best of Jack-son 2013, wears his title proud-ly. His outlook on his second career as a bartender is simple: “I get paid to be social.” Having bartended pro-fessionally in Jackson for five years (he also bartended in college), Quinn has no plans of relinquishing the occupation or emigrating from the area any-time soon.

First things first, how did you earn the reputation as the “meanest bartender?” Well, it’s a really funny thing. By the way, I am in no way mean. But I guess since I’m a Yankee from Pennsylva-nia, I can be a little crude—if not rude and blunt—whereas most people here, down south, are hospitable. I guess I haven’t really adjusted to the whole “southern hospitality” thing.

What led you to bartending? I needed another gig (oth-er than microbiology) to offset financial issues, so I turned to bartending to help supplement my income.

Which do you enjoy most: mi-crobiology or bartending? Well, I enjoy both of them equally, because I get to im-pact people in either profes-sion. With my full-time job at the Mississippi Health Depart-ment, I get to impact people medically, and when I bartend

I get to impact people socially. I get to meet new people and change their lives. I get paid to be social, which is a cool thing about bartending.

What else do you do besides bartending and your 9-to-5? I am a stand-up comedian with a group called “The Intel-lectual Bulimics.” I’ve been do-ing stand-up comedy for four years now in Jackson.

Finally, the question we’ve all been waiting for … what’s your favorite drink and why? Jameson Irish Whiskey straight, because it’s the only thing that’s more Irish Catholic than me.

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Being Mean … and Smart and Funny // by Bethany Bridges

BEST OF JACkSON 2013: PeoPle from page 17

MeanestBartender:JimmyQuinnFenian’s Pub, 901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055,

fenianspub.com Note: Not all finalists were as pleased to receive this award as Jimmy Quinn, so we have agreed to withhold their names.

Jackson’s meanest bartender, Jimmy Quinn, might not be so mean after all.


Age: 43From: Bronx, N.Y.Job: Chef, owner of Bruno’s Adobo.

Whatisyourfavoritethingtocook?“Everything.”

Favoritewaytocookanegg? “Fried. I grew up on fried eggs and Spam.”

Whydidyougetintocooking?“Because of my family. My family owned many businesses, including a pizzeria, restaurant and small supermart. I had a knack for it, so I just continued with it.”

BestChef:LuisBrunoBruno’s Adobo (127 S. Roach St., 601.944.9501) Second: Mike Römhild, Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202) / Third: DerekEmerson, Walker’s Drive-In (3016 N. State St., 601.982.2633) and Local 463 (121 Colony Crossing Way, Suite A, Madison, 601.707.7684) / Good Showing: NickWallace, Hilton Garden Inn/King Edward Hotel (235 W. Capitol St., 601.353.5464); JesseHouston; Dan Blumenthal, Mangia Bene restaurants and catering (bestjacksoncatering.com)

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SDoSSieR: Luis Bruno // by Leigh Horn

A R C H I T E C T U R E

P L A N N I N G

I N T E R I O R S

W W W . D U V A L L D E C K E R . C O M . R O Y T . D E C K E R , A I A . A N N E M A R I E D E C K E R , A I A2915 NORTH STATE STREE T . JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 39216 . PHONE 601.713.1128 . FAX 601.713.1168

D U VA L L D E C K E RA R C H I T E C T S , P . A .

When I walk into Martin’s on a Tues-day night, I avoid the bar where people clamor over the drink spe-cials. Instead, I head past the gam-

bling machines and down a short hallway to the back room. Here I find two guys enthusiastically doing a rap version of “Baby One More Time,” by Britney Spears. I didn’t come here to drink, although I’m sure that will happen; I came here for the karaoke hosted by Matt Collette. The curly-haired man behind the mixing board is one of the most in-de-mand acts in Jackson, hosting karaoke nights six nights a week at Jackson venues such as Martin’s Lounge, Club Magoo’s and Fenian’s Pub. A native of Brandon, Collette always was a fan of music. Growing up in the ’90s, he listened to a lot of Top 40 as well as grunge artists such as Pearl Jam and ’60s boy band The Monkeys. Collette credits the growth of his musical taste to his twin brother, Mike. “My brother ended up getting a job at Bebop Record Shop. … And working there he would buy a lot of CDs and come home and play them, and I’d be like, ‘What are you playing?’” Collette says. That taste would later become key to Col-

lette’s success. In 2005, Mike offered him a gig do-ing the karaoke for Martin’s on Tuesday nights. Once his nights at Martin’s began to take off, the entertainment compa-ny Great Southern Events contracted him to host at other venues. “I’ve done the fairgrounds, proms for Northwest Rankin (High School), different wedding events,” Collette says. Earlier this year, Collette went into busi-ness for himself, buy-ing the equipment and ending his contract with Great Southern Events. “I wanted to be my own boss,” he says. Collette has also taken it upon himself to expand the music he can offer to his followers, which now includes some 7,000 songs. Collette added hits from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s to the Top-40-heavy playlist he inher-ited from the company. His wide range of genres give his nights a hipster appeal, as more arty karaoke goers can pick obscure classics to earn cool points with the crowd. I spied the late 1990s dance hit “Groove is in the Heart” and novelty rap single “Cameltoe” alongside songs by Queen and Beyoncé. Collette frequently suggests more ob-scure songs to his regulars, including some of his personal favorites. “I was a big fan of Tori Amos

growing up, and for some reason it just seems like not a lot of people know about her,” Collette says.

In the past, Collette hosted karaoke con-tests at Club Magoo’s and, in April, he start-ed working with the club to update the fun. But while he has hosted competitive nights, Collette’s soul is rooted in the free-for-all atmosphere of the regular nights. “I just want people to have fun,” he says. “Just go out there and don’t hold anything back.” Matt Collette hosts karaoke Monday at Feni-an’s, Tuesday at Martin’s and Wednesday through Saturday at Club Magoo’s. All nights begin at 8 p.m. except for Martins, which begins at 10 p.m.


Best Of JacksOn 2013: PeoPle from page 19

BestLocalKaraokeDJ:MattCollette

second: Angela Pittman (Krazy Karaoke) / third: Casey Hardigree (DJ Stache) / Good showing: DJCadillac;CarlMcClemore;JonasAdams(DJJonasty); JoshHailey;MikeMott

Matt Collette took his wildly popular karaoke business into his own hands this year.

This Ain’t ‘American Idol’ // by Mo Wilson

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BestPreacher:ChipHendersonPinelake Baptist Church, 6071 Highway 25,

Brandon, 601.829.4500, pinelake.org second: Keith Tonkel,Wells Methodist (2019 Bailey ave., 601.353.06580) / third: C.J. Rhodes,Mt. Helm Baptist church (300 e. church st., 601.353.3981) / Good showing: Mike Campbell, redeemer church, pca (640 e. northside Drive, 601.362.9987); RobHill, Broadmeadow united Methodist church (4419 Broadmeadow st., 601.366.1403); RobertGreen,fondren church (622 Duling ave., suite 213, 601.208.0800)

BestRealEstateAgent:MaryJanitaTyree

Charlotte Smith Real Estate (1411 Old Square Road, 601.982.7998)

second: HayleyHayes (the Overby company, 1808 n. state st., 601.940.0463) / third: DonPotts (nix-tann & associates, 1776 Lelia Drive, 601.982.7918) / Good showing: AmiaEdwards, amia edwards real estate, p.O. Box 685, Jackson, 601.941.8039); LauraJackson (century 21 Maselle & associates, 4001 Lakeland Drive, flowood, 601.540.0214); Sharla Bachelder (re/MaX alliance, 505 avalon Way, suite a, Brandon, 601.664.6967)

BestJewelryDesigner:BetsyLiles,B.FineArtJewelry

215 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland, 601.607.7741, blilesstudio.com

second: Lil McKinnon-Hicks, LilMckH Jewelry (200 s. commerce st., 601.259.6461); Liz Henry (lizhenryjewels.com) / third: LeilaSchottKasmai, Leila Jewelry Designs (etsy.com/shop/leilajewelrydesigns) / Good showing: Alexandra Wilkes Long, Broque revival (etsy.com/shop/Broquerevival); CalvinStonesJewelers (2414 terry road, 601.373.4224); JunikerJewelry (4500 interstate 55 n., suite 116, 601.366.3754 or 1.800.796.3754)


IN YOUR MAILBOX!SUBSCRIBE FOR ONLY $18*!

TO SIGN UP VISIT BOOMJACKSON.COM/SUBSCRIBE/ OR CALL 601-362-6121 X11.* $18 COVERS SHIPPING AND HANDLING FOR SIX BIMONTHLY ISSUES OF BOOM JACKSON MAGAZINE.

FREE//Vol. 6, No. 1May - June 2013


Summer Style




Summer StyleGet


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pp 31 - 36


Best of2013

Comics, Toys, Collectibles, Supplies & More579 HWY 51, Suite D Ridgeland, MS 39157

601-856-1789 • [email protected]

COMIC COMMANDERCOMIC COMMANDER

Best Arts Organization: Mississippi Museum of Art380 S. Lamar St., 601.960.1515,

msmuseumart.org

Second: Mississippi Arts Commission (501 N. West St., Suite 1101-A, 601.359.6030) / Third: Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet (110 Homestead Drive, Madison, 601.853.4508) Good Showing: Ballet Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St., Suite 106, 601.960.1560); Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland, 601.856.7546); Greater Jackson Arts Council (255 E. Pascagoula St., 601.960.1557)


A distinctive manner of expression is the definition of style. That accurately captures the Missis-sippi Museum of Art in down-

town Jackson. Its website describes a mission to “engage Mississippians in the visual arts” and a commitment to “focusing on communi-ty interaction and personal experience.” The MMA is doing it all—in style. The museum’s renovation, completed just over five years ago, and recently con-structed Art Garden are becoming a center of visual arts and culture, not just in Jackson, but in the state and region as well. Nestled between Thalia Mara Hall, the Mississippi Arts Center (the MMA’s former home) and the Jackson Convention Complex, the Mis-sissippi Museum of Art commands attention

with its sophisticated open design and large windows—a clean, urban feel that welcomes visitors to spend time with the art. The Closer Look galleries are cozy, inviting visitors to sit, relax and reflect on the pieces hung on the

walls. The Family Corners allow younger visi-tors the opportunity to learn and engage in the museum experience without leaving the formal gallery space. The Art Garden at the Mississippi Mu-seum of Art is a 1.2-acre public green space complete with outdoor art installations, a performance stage and spaces for visitors to engage with the arts in a variety of ways. The Art Garden encourages learning experi-ences about Mississippi history and culture in many of the featured sculptures, such as Ed McGowin’s “Mississippi Quartet/Kudzu Melody,” four columns of bronze and stone, each representing an aspect of Mississippi: music, literature, food and nature. The Art Garden is an outdoor classroom that fosters interdisciplinary learning experi-

ences. Not only are visitors learn-ing about art, but they have the opportunity to get acquainted with plants and trees native to Mississip-pi, science, and literature as well. In the Art Garden, some visual artists are also gardeners: Several Mississippi artists donated plants from their personal gardens to the space. Many of the plants grow near the artists’ studios where they create the art that hangs inside the museum.

MMA has been pre-senting stylish exhibi-tions and engaging the community from the be-ginning. An organization called the Mississippi

Art Association, the precursor to the museum as we know it now, was established on Friday, Oct. 27, 1911. Members included artists and art supporters who were members of the Art Study Club. The Association’s members held

exhibitions in public spaces throughout the city such as the YWCA, the state fairgrounds and the governor’s mansion. They were also early advocates for the arts, lobbying Mississippi legislators to include art in the public schools. Since the founding of the Mississippi Art Association more than a hundred years ago, the museum has flourished. In 2010, the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the MMA the National Medal for Museum Service—the Mississippi Museum of Art was the only art museum to receive the distinction that year. Recognizing its commitment to educa-tion and its focus on Mississippi artists, the museum presents three permanent exhibi-tions. “The Mississippi Story,” organized by art historian Patti Carr Black, features the work of Sam Gilliam, Walter Anderson, Marie Hull, George Ohr and Eudora Welty among others. “Pre-Colombian Ceramics” contains pieces originating from the ancient cultures of Peru, Mexico and Central America. Mississippi native William Dunlap paint-ed the mural, “The Panorama of the Ameri-can Landscape,” for the neoclassical rotunda of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1984. The MMA displays the painting, designed to be one long panel viewed in the round, in two panels, one above the other on a large wall in the museum. In addition to the permanent works, the Annie Laurie Swaim Hearin Memorial Exhibition Series strives to bring outstand-ing works of art to the Jackson commu-nity. One such exhibit opened March 23: “Old Masters to Monet: Three Centuries of French Painting from the Wadsworth Ath-eneum.” Founded in 1842, the Wasdsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, located in Hart-ford, Conn., is the oldest public art museum

Art and Style// by Turry Flucker

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The current exhibit at the MMA includes some of the biggest names in the art world, including Monet and van Gogh.

Community & CultureCommunity & Culture2013

Best Arts Organization: Mississippi Museum of Art380 S. Lamar St., 601.960.1515,

msmuseumart.org

Second: Mississippi Arts Commission (501 N. West St., Suite 1101-A, 601.359.6030) / Third: Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet (110 Homestead Drive, Madison, 601.853.4508) Good Showing: Ballet Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St., Suite 106, 601.960.1560); Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland, 601.856.7546); Greater Jackson Arts Council (255 E. Pascagoula St., 601.960.1557)


in the United States. “Old Masters to Mon-et,” on display through Sept. 8, is a stunning representation of 50 masterpieces from the Wadsworth’s collection. On each canvas is a moving and inviting scene, ranging from religious and mythological subjects to landscapes and still lifes. Familiar names represented include Théodore Géricault,

Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Claude Monet. The Mississippi Museum of Art is the only museum in the southeast to host the exhibition. “The museum has been a community-sup-ported institution since its inception, and we look forward to evolving our exhibitions, pro-

grams and outreach to best serve the needs of our statewide community as it changes and grows,” Julian Rankin, MMA’s director of new media, says. Our mission of engaging Missis-sippians in the visual arts is central in all that we do. Moving forward, we’ll continue to tell the diverse stories and preserve the culture of Mississippi art in new and innovative ways.”

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BestRadioPersonality;BestRadioStation:

NateandMurphy(Y101) BestRadioPersonalitySecond: RickandKim(MISS103FM) / Third: ScottSteele(WUSJ96.3FM) / Good Showing: BoBounds(TheZone105.9FM);DJUnpredictable(97.7FM);MarshallRamsey(SuperTalkMississippi)

BestRadioStationSecond: WJMI(99.7FM) / Third: WRBJ(97.7FM) / Good Showing: WKXI (Kixie 107.5 FM); WLEZ (EZ100.1FM);WMSI(MISS103FM)

BestPlacetoChill:Cups:AnEspressoCafe

Multiple Locations, cupsespressocafe.com Second: Sneaky Beans (2914 N. State St., 601.487.6349) / Third: Fenian’sPub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055) / Good Showing: The Bulldog(6111 Ridgewood Road, 601.978.3502); Underground119(119 S. President St., 601.352.2322); Reservoir

BestChurchChoir:FirstBaptistChurchofJackson

431 N. State St., 601.949.1900, fbcj.org Second: Mississippi Mass Choir ( 601.366.8863) / Third: PinelakeChurch (6071 Highway 25, Brandon, 601.829.4500, pinelake.org) / Good Showing: AndersonUnited Methodist Church (6205 Hanging Moss Road, 601.982.3997); ChristUnitedMethodist (6000 Old Canton Road, 601.956.6974); New JerusalemChurch (5708 Old Canton Road, 601.206.5844; 1285 Raymond Road, 601.371.6772)

BestCommunityGarden/NatureAttraction:ArtGardenattheMississippiMuseumofArt380 S. Lamar St., 601.960.1515,

msmuseumart.org

Second: Mynelle Gardens (4736 Clinton Blvd., 601.960.1894) / Third: Mississippi Museum ofNaturalScience (2148 Riverside Drive, 601.354.7303) / Good Showing: ClintonCommunityNatureCenter (617 Dunton Road, Clinton, 601.926.1104); JacksonZoologicalPark (2918 W. Capitol St., 601.352.2580); LeFleur’s Bluff State Park (2140 Riverside Drive, 601.987.3923); Tougaloo-Rainbow SustainableGarden,TougalooCollege (500 W. County Line Road, Tougaloo, 601.977.7700)

Best Reason to Live in Jackson: The People// by Bethany Bridges and Mo Wilson // graphics by Kristin Brenemen

Consistently for the last several years, JFP readers have voted “the people” as the best reason to live in

Jackson. So who are the people that live, work and play in our fair city?

BeST Of JaCKSON 2013: Community & Culture from page 23

BestReasontoLiveinJackson:ThePeople

Second: Fondren / Third: the Food Good showing: the Convenience;theCulture;theReservoir

Persons over 65: 10% Persons under 18: 27%

Men: 46.5% Women: 53.5%

White: 18% Black: 79.4%

Median female age:

32.2 yearsMedian male age:

32.8 years

Top five most common first names

Top five most common last names

James

Mary

John

William

Willie

1,702

1,564

1,359

1,195

1,067

Smith

Williams

Jones

Johnson

Brown

1,105

906

873

823

620

PoPuLatioN (2011 eStiMate):

1 7 5 , 5 6 1

SOuRCeS: u.S CeNSuS, THe JaCKSON CONveNTiON aND viSiTORS BuReau

PeRSoNS PeR SquaRe MiLe: 1,562.5 Population by county

Hinds: 248,643

Madison: 98,468

Rankin 14,165

PeRSoNS PeR HouSeHoLd:

2.72


BestStagePlay:“TheColorPurple”

by MADDRAMA, Jackson State UniversitySecond:“TheGreatGatsby”byNewStageTheatre/Third:“RockyHorrorShow”byFondrenTheatreGroup / Good Showing: “Annie” by New StageTheatre; “A Christmas Memory” by New StageTheatre;“TheForeigner”byNewStageTheatre

BestLocalLiveTheater/TheatricalGroup:

NewStageTheatre1100 Carlisle St., 601.948.3531,

newstagetheatre.comSecond:FondrenTheatreWorkshop(601.301.2281,fondrentheatreworkshop.org) / Second: BlackRose Theatre Company (103 Black St., Brandon,601.825.1293) / Third: MADDRAMA at JSU (601.454.1183)/GoodShowing:Actor’sPlayhouse(121PaulTruittLane,601.664.0930);Ballet Magnificat!(5406Interstate55N.,Pearl,601.977.1001);ThaliaMaraHall(255E.PascagoulaSt.,601.960.1537)

The Nitty Gritty

Each fall, the Jackson Free Press launch-es its annual Best of Jackson contest.

The ballot runs from November to mid-De-cember. The contest is completely reader-run—local folks nominate, campaign for and vote on all 154 categories. In January, all the winners are revealed in a special issue of the Jackson Free Press. Then, Jacksonians from all neighborhoods, businesses and skill sets join the JFP staff in throwing a huge celebration honoring the winners. The themed party, held the last Sunday in January, is always at a new sur-prise location announced only days before the soiree kicks off. Then in May, BOOM Jackson magazine gets a Best of Jackson facelift, featuring the year’s winners in a glossy magazine. Subscribe to daily updates at jfpdaily.com for updates on and invitations to the 2014 Best of Jackson party. Check out the winners year-round and submit suggestions for upcoming years at bestofjackson.com.

Bringing The Community Together:Promoting Racial Harmony and Facilitating Understanding

Monthly Discussion LuncheonsSecond Wednesday, 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.In June and July, Jackson 2000 invites you to join us to “lunch and learn” with provocative speakers and discussions held at the Mississippi Arts Center in downtown Jackson.

Spring SocialThurs., May 16, 2013 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Come meet the board of directors and the Jackson 2000 membership at our spring social event, held at Smith Robertson Museum in the historic Farish Street district near downtown. Food, fellowship, and an opportunity to learn more!

2013 Dialogue CirclesOngoing for adults and youth - see websiteJackson 2000 presents dialogue circles, a series of facilitated, curriculum-based discussion sessions that can open minds, change hearts and build lasting friendships.

More information: www.jackson2000.org

Hitched AnnouncementB OOM Jackson is proud to announce our newest

special issue, due on January 1, 2014—Hitched!

Hitched is Jackson’s very own magazine focusing on your engage-ment and wedding. Along with feature stories on fabulous and creative couples, we’ll offer tips and hints for your engagement, invitations, showers, parties, dinners, wedding, reception and more! From super fancy to do-it-yourself, we’ll cover all the bases for the perfect wedding.

Plus, Hitched offers you a fantastic opportunity to announce your own engagement or wedding with a placement both in print and online. Reach the Jackson metro’s most engaged and sophisticated readers to let them know about your big date and to celebrate along with you. Announcements are offered at an affordable rate and can be placed this summer and fall for publication on January 1st. Call 601-362-6121 x11 or write [email protected] for details.

Best Project under Construction: Fortification Street

Second: Farish Street / Third: Whole Foods Market (4500 Interstate 55 N., 601.982.5861) / Good Showing: Baptist Health Systems (1313 N. President St., 601.968.1000); Iron Horse Grill (320 W. Pearl St.); Midtown redevelopment


1 Fortification gets its name from the area’s role in the 1863 Civil War sieges in

Jackson, when the hilly road served as the Confederates’ northern defensive line.

2 The repairs will take place over 1.2 miles—from Farish Street (the non-sequential

1000 block, which is the last street before the train tracks parallel to Mill Street)

to Greymont Avenue (the last outlet from the historic Belhaven neighborhood before

Interstate 55).

3 The City Council approved a bid from Hemphill Construction in the amount of

$8,988,961 to repair and expand Fortification Street on the parameters listed above.

The construction, which began May 2012, should last 18 months from start to finish.

4 Don’t roll through reds! Though Jackson drivers seem to have perfected this not-so-

legal driving maneuver, the city planned for installation of traffic-monitoring cameras

and supporting fiber-optic communication wires along the project—for instance, the State

and Fortification streets intersection now has cameras on each traffic-light arm.

5 Fortification’s repairs will benefit pedestrians as well as drivers: New sidewalks will be

poured and decorative lighting fixtures installed along the length of the project.

Fast Fortification Facts // by Molly Lehmuller

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If you are looking to affect a pet’s life, then Community Animal Rescue and Adoptions’ Adopt a Leash Program is the program to join. Since its founding in 2001, CARA has

improved and changed the lives of countless animals they shelter, as well as the lives of the people who adopt new furry friends. Denise Cantrell, CARA’s board vice chair-

woman, says CARA is dedicated to helping ani-mals find families and receive the nurturing and caring that all creatures deserve. “We have plenty of ways people can get in-volved in ensuring that our pets are being well taken care of,” Cantrell says. Adopt a Leash, a “glorified foster program,” designed for people who cannot afford the full responsibilities of pet ownership, but would like to be involved in a pet’s life. To participate, a person must a make a year-long commitment and a monthly donation of $30 to help provide food and vaccines for the Adopt a Leash pet. Additionally, individuals are required to spend at least four hours a month with their adopted pet. “Our adopters are al-lowed to take their pets out of the shelter for one day. We have some parents who take their pets to sleepovers, pet-friendly events and birthday parties,” Cantrell says. The program has been in place for two years, and so far more than 20 people have made commitments to Adopt a Leash. Some individu-als eventually fully adopt their pets. Currently, CARA has about 265 dogs and 130 cats all up for the Adopt a Leash program or full adoption.

If you can’t afford Adopt a Leash, you can still come out and take a dog for an afternoon of socializing at nearby Bree’s Bark Park. It will be the first park, when completed, for animals in the metro area. If you have love and a little bit of time to offer, CARA will work with you to find a way that you can brighten the life of a dog or cat in need. Sharing your time, however great or small, helps CARA provide for the hundreds of animals they shelter.

Best Nonprofit Organization: Community Animal Rescue

and Adoption Inc. (CARA) 960 N. Flag Chapel Road, 601.922.7575, carams.org

Second: Stewpot Community Services (1100 W. capitol St., 601.353.2759) / Third: The Salvation Army (110 Presto Lane, 601.982.4881) / Good Showing: The Good Samaritan Center (114 Millsaps ave., 601.355.6276); The Mustard Seed (1085 Luckney road, Brandon, 601.992.3556); Operation Shoestring (1711 Bailey ave., 601.353.6336)

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CARA offers a part-time program for those that can’t commit to a pet full-time.

A Dog (or Cat) for a Day// by Bethany Bridges


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BestLocallyOwnedBusiness;BestSalon:LaCruSalon

5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 600, Flowood, 601.992.7980, lacrusalon.com

BestBeautyShoporSalonSecond: Ritz Salon (574 Highway 51, Suite H, Ridgeland, 601.856.4330) / Third (tie): Barnette’sSalon (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 201, 601.362.9550; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 8001, Ridgeland, 601.898.9123); Molecules (794 Highway 51 N., Suite A, Madison, 601.605.4511) / Good Showing: Lacey’sSalonandAccessories(1935 Lakeland Drive, Suite C, 601.397.6389); SmoakSalon (622 Duling Ave., Suite 206, 601.982.5313); William Wallace Salon (2939 Old Canton Road, 601.982.8300)

BestLocallyOwnedBusinessSecond: Mangia Bene (3317 N. State St., 601.982.4443) / Third: Sneaky Beans (2914 N. State St., 601.487.6349) / Good Showing: circa.URBANARTISANLIVING (2771 Old Canton Road, 01.362.8484); MorningbellRecords&Studios (622 Duling Ave., Suite 205A, 769.233.7468); Tempstaff 962 North St., 601.353.4200; 955 Jefferson St., 601.353.3777; 3091 S. Liberty St., Suite A, Canton, 601.859.8860)

Stephanie Barnes begins each day with reflection and prayer. “I don’t drink coffee or anything, but I do meditate for at least 10 minutes to

start my day,” she says. Barnes, 41, brings that sense of spiri-tuality—along with passion—to her role as LaCru Salon owner. “It was God’s plan,” Barnes says of evolving as a business owner. A native Jacksonian and graduate of Jackson State University with a business administration degree, Barnes is finding success as an entrepreneur. Six years ago, Barnes bought LaCru, which twin sisters opened before her. The

salon’s name comes from the previous own-ers’ children’s names, Lake and Cruz. Since the name was already known in the community, Barnes decided to keep it even as she grew the salon into her own vision. Located in the booming area of Flo-wood at Magnolia Marketplace, businesses

that surround LaCru have evolved as well. Now, the thriving LaCru owner has ex-panded beyond the salon. Recently, Barnes opened The Smoothing Bar, Mississippi’s first Keratin treatment and Brazilian blow-dry salon. Barnes says the expansion is only the beginning of growth for LaCru. The LaCru stylists specialize in color-ing and cutting. However, the salon also of-fers a range of other services including: foil-ing, straightening, waxing and extensions. “We bring New York to them,” Barnes says, adding that LaCru supplies upscale services for a reasonable price. Barnes believes in keeping clients’ hair

healthy. To help, LaCru uses and sells Moroccanoil, Pureology, Bum-ble and Bumble, and similar quality products. Barnes says it is especially ex-citing to win best salon because she also won best ris-ing entrepreneur, a testament to how the salon has flourished in the six years under

her ownership. “It has always been in the plan to own my own salon one day,” Barnes says. “I get my drive and my passion from behind the chair.” She says it took a leap of faith to jump in and become a business owner: “It was my time. I felt at ease, and I just jumped over the ledge and did it.”

Barnes speaks about teamwork a lot, calling it the secret to her success. “I have a great team that stands behind me. I think that is the foundation of it because I don’t think I could do it alone. Without them be-ing my foundation and my backbone, I don’t think I would have made it,” she says. “Teamwork makes dreams work,” Barnes adds. Her team may be her backbone, but her relationship with her customers is vital as well. “My clients drive me as an entrepre-neur,” she says. “I feel like I’m always there. Even though I do their hair, I feel like I’m their therapist. Any average person knows that a hairdresser can be a therapist, or someone that’s there to just listen. I some-times just listen or give a client a hug. “That’s my passion.” It makes Barnes’ day to be there for her clients’ needs, because their needs keep her driven to continue to be the best. “I feel like I don’t see them as my clients anymore, but more as family,” she says. Maintaining two salons and styling multiple clients is not the end of Barnes’ responsibilities—she plays super mom and wife as well as super stylist, trying to keep work life and personal life separate. “After I get up, I wake the kids up and get them ready. I drop them off at school before I come to work,” she says. Barnes has been happily married to Michael Barnes for almost two decades. They have a 17-year-old son named Taron and a 6-year-old daughter, Ashlyn. Barnes’ hobbies away from the salon include spend-ing time with her family, going to the beach, watching movies and reading books.

Stephanie Barnes, 2013’s Best Entrepreneur, is taking Best Salon LaCru to bigger, better and more beautiful places.

Urban LivingUrban Living2013

Making Dreams Work // by Krista Davis // photos by Trip Burns


BestLocallyOwnedBusiness;BestSalon:LaCruSalon

5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 600, Flowood, 601.992.7980, lacrusalon.com

BestBeautyShoporSalonSecond: Ritz Salon (574 Highway 51, Suite H,Ridgeland, 601.856.4330) /Third (tie): Barnette’sSalon (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 201,601.362.9550;1000HighlandColonyParkway,Suite8001, Ridgeland, 601.898.9123); Molecules (794Highway51N.,SuiteA,Madison,601.605.4511)/GoodShowing:Lacey’sSalonandAccessories(1935Lakeland Drive, Suite C, 601.397.6389); SmoakSalon (622DulingAve.,Suite206, 601.982.5313);William Wallace Salon (2939 Old Canton Road,601.982.8300)

BestLocallyOwnedBusinessSecond: Mangia Bene (3317 N. State St.,601.982.4443) / Third: Sneaky Beans (2914 N.State St., 601.487.6349) / Good Showing: circa.URBANARTISANLIVING (2771OldCantonRoad,01.362.8484);MorningbellRecords&Studios(622DulingAve.,Suite205A,769.233.7468);Tempstaff962 North St., 601.353.4200; 955 Jefferson St.,601.353.3777;3091S.LibertySt.,SuiteA,Canton,601.859.8860)

Best Of JacksOn 2013: Urban Living from page 29


From: El SalvadorAge: 41Profession: Master tailorYears as a tailor: 28Years owning his own business: 12Favorite thing to wear: A suit. “I like looking good because it makes me feel good.”Favorite part of his business: “I love taking a nice piece of cloth and turn-ing it into a custom suit.”Best advice on dressing well: “When you look better, you feel better. People should dress up more, especially in business; our culture is losing a sense of formality that’s important to have in some situations.”On fit: “I think if a piece of cloth-ing doesn’t fit perfectly, it won’t do anything for you. If you wear a nice suit, but it doesn’t fit well, the look is ruined.”On his lifelong passion for clothes:“At 12 years old, I went into a master-

tailor’s shop in El Salvador and asked him if I could apprentice. After that, I went every day after school to learn from him. Becoming a master tailor takes years and years of work.”On being a master tailor: “It’s a nice feeling to know you can help people look better. I love what I do for a liv-ing, and I always listen to my custom-ers when giving advice. … It’s not just about selling a suit, it’s about giving people what they need for their life-style and body type.”

On who needs custom clothes: “Some people have body types that make it hard to wear off-the-rack clothes, and custom-made clothing can help them. Other people like custom because it lets them have something unique and different from everyone else.” Every well-dressed man should have in his closet: “Some suits for busi-ness and formal occasions, nice pants and a sport coat for weekends or more casual events.”

DOSSIER: Al Guevara// by Julie skipper

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BestTailor:CustomTailoring

byAl1000 Highland colony parkway, suite 4004, ridgeland, 601.607.3443; 258 Dogwood Blvd., flowood, 601.992.1373, customtailoringbyalofms.com second: Michael Arm-strong of Tom JamesCompany (1775 Lelia Drive, suite D, 601. 713.2034) / third: FinishingTouch (4551 Office Park Drive, 601.362.5288) / Good showing: Golden Touch (5355 executive place, 601.362.6790); Nana’sAlterations (975 north st., suite 107, 601.969.3189); Perfect-Fit Alterations(4954 Old canton road, 601.991.0673)

BestBarberShop:Maurice’sBarberShop

1200 E. Northside Drive, 601.362.2343; 1060 Highway 51, Madison, 601.856.0015;

398 Highway 51, Suite 60, Ridgeland, 601.856.2856; 622 Grants Ferry Road,

Flowood, 601.992.9031

second: Custom Cuts and Styles (2445 terry road, 601.321.9292) / third: Family Barber Shop (211 Hoy road, Madison, 601.853.8084) / Good showing: HeadgamesHairStudio (5731 Old canton road, suite 104, 601.956.5052); Acey’s Salon and Accessories (1935 Lakeland Drive, suite c, 601.397.6389); Lil’Dave’sBarberShop (3013 J.r. Lynch st., 601.354.1010)

BestComicBookStore:HeroesandDreams:Comicsand

Collectibles5352 Highway 25, Flowood, 601.992.3100

second: Van’s Comics and Cards (558 Highway 51, suite 202, ridgeland, 601.898.9950) / third: ComicCommander (579 Highway 51, suite D, ridgeland, 601.856.1789)

BestBridal/FormalwearStore:TheBridalPath

4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 104, 601.982.8267, bridalpathinc.com

second: Lace (109 Grants ferry road, Brandon, 601.665.4860) / third: Imaginations (119 ≠. cherokee st., Brookhaven, 601.833.6280); Good showing: AlfredAngelo (1230 e. county Line road, ridgeland, 601.956.1806); David’s Bridal (1039 e. county Line road, suite 105, 601.957.0505); A Southern Affair(4500 interstate 55 n., suite 160, 601.487.6218)

BestDaySpa:AquatheDaySpa4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 102,

601.362.9550; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 8001, Ridgeland,

601.898.9123, aquathedayspa.com

second: Body Anew Medical Spa (113 W. Jackson st., suite 1a, ridgeland, 601.605.0452) third: DrenchDay Spa (118 W. Jackson st., suite 2B, ridgeland, 601.707.5656) / Good showing: MonAmiSpa&LaserCenter (4500 interstate 55 n., suite 128, 601.366.7721); Sanctuary Body Spa (340 township ave., suite 200, ridgeland, 601.790.2222); Skin District (2629 courthouse circle, suite B, flowood, 601.981.7546)

BestDanceStudio:SalsaMississippi

605 Duling Ave., 601.213.6355, salsamississippi.com

second: MississippiMetropolitanDanceAssociation (110 Homestead Drive, Madison, 601.853.4508) / third: Ballet Magnificat! (5406 interstate 55 n., 601.977.1001) / Good showing: BalletMississippi(201 e. pascagoula st., suite 106, 601.960.1560); DanceUnlimited (6787 s. siwell road, suite a, Byram, 601.373.6143); DollhouseDanceFactory(1410 ellis ave., 601.969.4000)

BestUniqueGifts:circa.URBANARTISANLIVING

2771 Old Canton Road, 601.362.8484 second: AppleAnnie’sGiftShop (1896 Main st., suite D, Madison, 601.853.8911; 152 Grants ferry road, 601.992.9925) / third: Mississippi Craft Center (950 rice road, ridgeland, 601.856.7546) / Good showing: O How Cute Gift Market (304 e. Government st., Brandon, 601.825.5080); PersnicketyGiftShop (2078 Main st., Madison, 601.853.9595); PineCone (1220 e. northside Drive, 601.713.1421)

Material GirlsPhotographer: Melanie BoydModels/stylists: Tiffany Langlinais and Claire SojournerHair and Makeup: Kate McNeely

Special thanks to Material Girls, Libby Story and Royal Bleau for allowing us to photograph in their stores.

Claire:

My favorite thing about Material Girls is that the store is organized by color, so it’s easy to fi nd an outfi t in that awesome trendy shade you saw on Pinterest. I fell in love with these coral shorts. On top, I chose a crisp white tank with scalloped detailing that mirrors their hemline.

Best Boutique: Material Girls

182 Promenade Blvd., Flowood, 601.992.4533; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 7005,

Ridgeland, 601.605.1605, shopmaterialgirls.com

Second: Royal Bleau Boutique (1100 J.R. Lynch St., Suite 8, 601.321.9564) / Third (tie): Libby Story (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 5003, 662.323.1427); Treehouse Boutique(3000 N. State St., 601.982.3433) / Good Showing: High Cotton (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 188, 601.982.3280); Migi’s Boutique (131 Market St., Flowood, 601.919.8203); Posh Boutique (4312 N. State St., Suite 2, 601.364.2244)

Tiffany is wearing a Very J lime pleated skirt ($38.95), Everly fl oral silk button-up top ($38.95), turquoise suede wedges ($20), gold disk earrings with turquoise beads ($12.95) and bangles ($12.95).

Claire is wearing an 8 Birdies white scallop top ($36.95), C. Luce red shorts ($49.95), Qupid black wedges ($46.95), a turquoise Necklace ($32.95) and gold Earrings ($14.95).

Tiffany:

Material Girls boasts some of the brightest and latest mainstream trends. I chose this outfi t because it’s got the popular lemon-lime color of the season. It looks great with summer tans, and the pleats bring back the nostalgia of 1950s skirts.

Libby Story

Claire is wearing a fl oral print blazer ($48), Olivaceous blue scoop-back tank ($38), Skies are Blue white piped shorts ($48) Qupid (Luke-20) teal wedges ($42) and a silver disc necklace ($16).

Tiffany is wearing a Modage sheer print tank ($24), Champagne & Strawberry blue lace maxi skirt ($78), Not Rated cream wedges ($48) and mint rhinestone necklace ($24).

Claire:

Libby Story is full of pieces that can be classic or edgy, depending on how you style them. This fl oral blazer is a fun addition to the cobalt blue tank, and the detailing on the shorts ties it all together. The sea green wedges add the perfect amount of height and color.


Royal BleauTiffany:

Royal Bleau’s mix of dressy and casual urban wear gives it a different feel. I love denim shorts, and the distressed, high-waisted ones are making a comeback. Paired with a blousey tee and wedges, you’ve got a relaxed look that’s still stylish.

Claire is wearing a long black and white dress ($55), turquoise stacked heels ($45), and a blue necklace ($24).

Tiffany is wearing Vibrant acid-washed high-waisted denim shorts ($45), a JC, Fits Inc. grunge crop top ($28), a mustard suede clutch with skull ($65), and suede hot pink and orange cross-over wedges ($20)

Note: Treehouse Boutique tied with Royal Bleau for third place in the Best of Jackson contest, but declined to participate in the fashion shoot.

Tiffany:

Libby Story is one of my favorite shops in the Jackson area. It never fails me when I’m looking for something unique and fun regardless of the occasion. I love mixing prints and experimenting with new patterns and shapes.Maxi skirts are a staple in my closet—in fact, I own this skirt!

Claire:

Royal Bleau carries a lot of different styles so it’s worth taking your time to look around. I went with a totally different look than I usually would. I’m obsessed with black and white patterns, but this dress is an unusual take on the trend because of its length and shape.

The RoguePhotographer: Tate K. NationsModel: Nick PernellLocation: The Rogue

Nick is wearing a Billy Reid plaid linen shirt ($195) with grey Adriano Goldschmied pants ($178).

The Rogue is the epitome of a one-stop shop. It carries everything from sporting gear to casual weekend wear to fi ne suits. The staff is great at picking out the perfect fi nishing touches, like ties, shoes or cuffl inks.


601.366.8511jacksonhouses.com C

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Experience matters.

Lunch. Dinner...

Celebrations.

115 W. Capitol St Jackson, MS 39201

601.360.0090

[email protected]

www.parlormarket.com


BestMen’sClothes:TheRogue

4450 Interstate 55 N., 601.362.6383, therogue.com

Second: Kinkade’sFineClothing (120 W. Jackson St., Suite 2B, 601.898.0513) / Third: GreatScott (4400 Old Canton Road, Suite 100, 601.984.3500)/ Good Showing: Jos.A.Bank (4870 I 55 N., 601.366.9711); Mozingo Clothiers (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 140, 601.713.7848); Red Square ClothingCo. (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 9004, Ridgeland, 601.853.8960)

Nick is wearing a Sam Malone pinstripe suit ($395) with an Ike Behar dress shirt ($98.50) and a Carrot and Gibbs green-and-white bow tie ($65).

The Rogue

Art is most often created to be en-joyed, to be seen. Art galleries are important portals, thresholds through which this work passes

from the hands that made it into those that collect and preserve it. The ecosystem of artistic creation and consumption is diverse, multifaceted and wide, but the welcoming doors of a gallery have always been integral

to the health of the art community. Fischer Galleries in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson epitomizes this symbiosis. Marcy Nessel opened Fischer Galler-ies in November 2008, having worked in the world of art for the better part of two decades. “I’ve felt more a part of the community with this gallery than I have anywhere else,” she

says of the gallery’s Fondren location. Jackson has dozens of venues for art: coffee shops, galleries and display spaces of all kinds. These include Brown’s Fine Art and Richard McKey’s Fondren Art Gallery, both within a stone’s throw of Fischer Galleries. Nessel is grateful for them all. Often, she directs patrons to Fondren Art Gallery across the street if she thinks they might have what

the customer is looking for. “I have clients in their 20s coming in who say ‘We’ve got a huge wall. We need something that’s huge, but I can’t af-ford a $3,200 painting.’ “Come on. I’m walk-ing you across the street,’ I’ll tell them. I walk people over there at least once a week.” The reputation of Fischer Galleries is owed in no small part to the artists who show there, from rising stars in the art world to established Mississippi creatives. This connection to the contemporary Missis-sippi art scene is part of

what infuses Fischer with energy and makes the place relevant in the economic and social life of the community. “I grew up here, so I’m a big fan of Jack-son,” Nessel says. “And I’m very devoted to seeing the city continue to be the hub of this area.” Nessel says that one of the great plea-

sures in operating the gallery is exposing cli-ents to work they might not see otherwise. “It’s really nice to see the older generations coming in and buying extremely contempo-rary abstract work,” she says. Fischer Galleries celebrates its fifth anniversary this fall, and Nessel is excited about the art that she’ll have on view this year. Look for work by Dan Piersol, Maureen Donnelly, Jack Garner, and Richard Kelso to enliven the space, in addition to pieces by fa-miliar Fischer artists like William Goodman and Rod Moorhead. Nessel says there are too many artists to name, and that she is al-ways surprised and excited by the inevitable discovery of new works of art and new work-ing artists. Art is made and crafted and then dis-played. The other part of this equation is the consumer—the art collector, the visitor to the area, the passerby who is reminded of that one blank space in their living room that begs to be filled. “One thing that has remained solid throughout (the years) is the consistency of our supporters,” Nessel says. “They are wonderful. They want to support local art-ists, and there is just so much talent here.”


BestMechanic:GravesandStoddardInc.

722 Highway 80 E., Flowood, 601.939.3662Second: Putnam’s Automotive Service Inc. (4879N. State St., 601.366.1886) / Third: Southland AutoServiceCenter(5448NStateSt.,601.362.2253)/GoodShowing:CarCareClinicJetLubeTire&Automotive(Multiple Locations); Justin Morgan; Kyle Rigdon(speedproductions.net/)

BestCleaningService/DryCleaner:Kolb’sGrandCleaners

2933 N. State St., 601.366.1453

Second: Hallmark Cleaners (Multiple Locations,hallmarkcleaners.com)/Third:WellsCleaners(691GrantsFerryRoad,SuiteB,Flowood,601.992.8855)/GoodShowing:OldeTown (220KeyDrive,Madison,601.856.7474);SummitCleaners(450NakomaDrive,601.366.9947);TraceCleaners(398Highway51,Suite100,Ridgeland,601.853.7007)

BestThrift/ConsignmentStore:RepeatStreet

242 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.605.9123Second: The Orange Peel (422 E. Mitchell Ave.,601.364.9977) / Third: N.U.T.S. (114 Millsaps Ave.,601.355.6276) / Good Showing: Bargain Boutique(5070 Parkway Drive, 601.991.0500); Goodwill(Multiple Locations, goodwill.org); Plato’s Closet(1260E.CountyLineRoad,Ridgeland,601.487.4207)

Match Made //byJulianRankin

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S Fischer Galleries displays some of the region’s most contemporary art, including Amelia Key’s 2013 mixed media piece “Colony.”

BestArtGallery:FischerGalleries

3100 N. State St., Suite 101, 601.291.9115, fischergalleries.com

Second:FondrenArtGallery(3030N.StateSt.,601.981.9222)/Third:SouthernBreezeGallery(1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 5005,Ridgeland, 601.607.4147) / Good Showing:Brown’sFineArtFraming(630FondrenPlace,601.982.4844); Gallery1 (1100 John R. LynchSt.,Suite4,601.979.9250);Gallery119(119S.PresidentSt.,601.969.4091);


BEST OF JACKSON 2013: URBAN LIVING from page 37

Best Garden Supply/Nursery: Lakeland Yard and Garden Center

4210 Lakeland Drive, 601.939.7304, lakelandyardandgarden.com

Second: Callaway Yard & Garden (839 S. Pear Orchard Road, Ridgeland, 601.957.1731) / Third: Green Oak (5009 Old Canton Road, 601.956.5034) / Good Showing: The Everyday Gardener (2905 Old Canton Road, 601.981.0273); Hutto’s Home and Garden Center (1320 Ellis Ave., 601.973.2277); Martinson’s Garden Works (650 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.856.3078)

Best Fitness Center/Gym: Baptist Healthplex

717 Manship St., 601.968.1766; :102 Clinton Parkway, Clinton, 601.925.7900, mbhs.org

Second: The Club (Multiple Locations, theclubms.com) / Third: YMCA (Multiple Locations, metroymcams.org) / Good Showing: Anytime Fitness (Multiple Locations, anytimefi tness.com); The Courthouse Racquet and Fitness (Multiple Locations, mscourthouse.com); Knockout Fitness (205 Belle Meade Pointe, Flowood, 769.233.7901)

Best Liquor/Wine Store: Kats Wine and Spirits

921 E. Fortifi cation St., 601.983.5287, katswine.com

Second: Fondren Cellars (633 Duling Ave., 769.216.2323) / Third: Briarwood Wine and Spirits(4949 Old Canton Road, 601.956.5108 or 601.956.5916 / Good Showing: Corkscrew (4800 Interstate 55 N. Frontage Road, Suite 32B, 601.981.1333); Joe T’s (286 Highway 51 N., Ridgeland, 601.605.7602); McDade’s Wine and Spirits (1220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 320, 601.366.5676)

Best Tattoo/Piercings Parlor: Black Diamond

5015 Interstate 55 N., 601.982.9437 Second: Pristine Ink (5735 Interstate 55 N., 769.251.0569) / Third: Squench’s (3780 Interstate 55 S., 601.372.2800) / Good Showing: Eternal Body Art (3611 Interstate 55 S., 601.346.5963); House of Pain (22 Holiday Rambler Lane, Byram, 601.321.9040); Twiztid Images (557 Highway 49 S., Richland, 601.664.0000)

Best Annual Event: Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade

malsstpaddysparade.com

Second: Mistletoe Marketplace (601.948.2357, mistletoemarketplace.com) / Third: Wellsfest(wellschurch.org) / Good Showing: CelticFest(celticfestms.org); Fondren Unwrapped (fondren.org); Mississippi State Fair (mdac.state.ms.us)

Best Place to Buy Books: Lemuria Books

4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202, 601.366.7619, lemuriabooks.com

Second: Book Rack (1491 Canton Mart Square, Suite 7, 601.956.5086; 584 Springridge Road, Suite C, Clinton, 601.924.9020) / Third: JSU Bookstore (Jackson State University, Student Center, 1400 John R. Lynch St., 601.979.2021) / Good Showing: The Bookshelf (637 Highway 51, Suite AA, Ridgeland, 601.853.9225); Choctaw Books (926 North St., 601.352.7281); Lifeway Christian Resources (1057 E. County Line Road, 601.952.1934)

The Once and Future Florist // by Genevieve Legacy

Best Flower Shop:

Greenbrook Flowers

705 N. State St., 601.957.1951,

greenbrookfl owers.com

Second: A Daisy a Day Flowers & Gifts(4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 194, 601. 982.4438) Third: Mostly Martha’s (353 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601. 956.1474) / Good Showing: Drake’s Designs (1491 Canton Mart Road, 601. 957.6983); Green Oak (5009 Old Canton Road, 601. 956.5017); Whitley’s Flowers (740 Lakeland Drive, 601. 362.8844)

At fi rst glimpse, Green-brook Flowers prom-ises an off-the-beaten-path fl orist experience.

At 705 N. State St., juxtaposed by contemporary steel and glass construction, the Queen Anne-style house is the epitome of Victorian—cake-decoration moldings, wrought-iron railings, a three-story tower laced with English ivy—the house stands out in the shifting play of past and present architecture. “We’re a full-service fl o-rist,” says Gwen Collela, a fi fth-generation member of the family-owned business. “We do anything and everything that involves fl owers.” Collela has worked at Greenbrook Flowers her entire life. To emphasize, she men-tions that her brother’s twins are in the back, camped out for the day. “My dad was brought up in a fl ower box,” Col-

lela says, adding that she and her three brothers grew up the same way. “We were, and now we’re raising our kids that way.” The turns and corners of the repurposed house of-fers moments of surprise. Sit-ting rooms and private par-lors are available for leafi ng through catalogs. You enter the front porch (enclosed for a street-side window display) through a wooden fi nial arch. A small conservatory hous-es peace lilies, rubber plants, scheffl era and fl owering bro-meliads. In the rounded cove formed by the tower sits a woven bassinet, fi lled to the brim with plush animals. Greenbrook’s most popular walk-in purchase has been the same for years: a dozen cut roses, wrapped in earth-friendly paper

and available year round for the wonderfully retro price of $11.95.

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Gwen Collela is the fi fth generation of her family to work at Greenbrook.

Best Martial Arts Studio: Gracie South Jiu-Jitsu

5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 1400, Flowood, 601.502.7634, graciesouth.com

Second:Academy of Kung Fu(626RidgewoodRoad,Suite C, Ridgeland, 601.856.5051) / Third: Jason Griffin’s Tae Kwon Do Academy(103ChristianDrive,Suite D, Brandon, 601.824.0058; 125 Dyess Road,Ridgeland,601.977.9000)/GoodShowing:Knockout Fitness and MMA(205BelleMeadePointe,Flowood,769.233.7901);Martial Arts Academy(2160MainSt.,SuiteF,Madison,601.898.5555;1149OldFanninRoadSuite. 8, Brandon, 601.919.4000); West’s Hapkido Academy(291Highway51,Ridgeland,601.856.8487)

Best Tanning Salon: Solar 51398 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.898.1003;

727 Clinton Parkway, Clinton, 601.925.9747, solar51tan.com

Second:Sun Gallery(6712OldCantonRoad,Ridge-land,601.957.7502;2720N.StateSt,601.366.5811)/Third:Reservoir Tan(132LakelandHeightsBlvd.,Flowood, 601.992.3535) / Good Showing: Beach Bodies Tanning Salon(126ByramBusinessCenterDrive, 601.373.6105); Breeze Airbrush Tanning & Day Spa (1189OldFanninRoad,SuiteE,Brandon,601.502.7303);Salon 51(637Highway51,Ridgeland,601.856.4663)

Best Place to Buy Antiques: Antique Mall of the South

367 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.853.4000Second (tie): Old House Depot (639 Monroe St.601.592.6200);Flowood Flea Market(1325FlowoodDrive, Flowood, 601.953.5914) / Third: Interiors Market (659 Duling Ave., 601.981.6020) / GoodShowing:Antique Shops of Jackson4245Interstate55N.,601.982.1881);Belgique(320CommerceParkDrive,601.982.6060);Repeat Street(242Highway51,Ridgeland,601.605.9123)

Best Place for a First Date: Babalu Tacos & Tapas

622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601.366.5757, babalums.com

Second: Keifer’s (705 Poplar Blvd., 601.355.6825;120 N. Congress St., 601.353.4976) / Third: Table 100(100RidgeWay,Flowood,601.420.4202)/GoodShowing: Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N.,Suite 142, 601.956.9562 ); Cups: An Espresso Cafe (Multiple Locations, cupsespressocafe.com); Julep Restaurant and Bar(4500Interstate55N.,Suite105,601.362.1411);Walker’s Drive-In (3016N.StateSt.,601.982.2633)

Changing Room

The South Warehouse isessentially a blank slate. Aspacious warehouse with barn-

like detailing, the event space canbe endlessly customized throughfurnishings, lighting and décor,which makes it a popular locale forweddings and parties. Most bridestend to play up The South’s morerusticelements,takingfulladvantageof the worn wood and vintagefurniture. Burlap, branches andwoodelements,glassandcandlelightcomplement the exposed brick. ButThe South can go modern just aseasily;all-whitecouchesandsteelorglass elements look at home in thespaceaswell.Upto2,000peoplecanminglecomfortably,andthein-housecatering and floral design by Fresh Cut doesn’tdisappoint.

—Kathleen M. Mitchell

Best Place to Book a Party or Shower; Best Place to Get

Married: The South Warehouse627 E. Silas Brown St., 601.939.4518

Best Place to Get MarriedSecond: Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St.,601.948.3429) / Third: Mynelle Gardens(4736ClintonBlvd.,601.960.1894)/GoodShowing:Art Garden at the Mississippi Museum of Art(380S. Lamar St., 601.960.1515); The Cedars (4145OldCantonRoad,601.366.5552);Luckett Lodge(214ClarkCreekRoad,601.829.2567)

Best Place to Book a Party or ShowerSecond:Table 100(100RidgeWay,601.420.4202)/ Third: Fairview Inn (734 Fairview St.,601.948.3429)/GoodShowing:Burgers & Blues(1060E.CountyLineRoad,Suite22,Ridgeland,601.899.0038); The Cedars (4145 Old CantonRoad,601.366.5552);King Edward Hotel(235W.CapitolSt.,601.353.5464)

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Best Veterinarian: Briarwood Animal Hospital

1471 Canton Mart Road, 601.956.5030, briarwoodhospital.com

Second:North State Animal and Bird Hospital (5208N. State St., 601.982.8261) / Third: All Creatures Animal Care Center (262 New Mannsdale Road,Madison, 601.856.5333) / Good Showing: Animal Medical Center (995 Interstate 20, 601.354.3622);Brandon Animal Hospital (205 Woodgate Drive,Brandon, 601.825.9077); Canton Road Veterinary Hospital (4960 Canton Road, 601.956.6144);Hometown Veterinary Services (1010Highway471,Brandon,601.825.1697)

Best Category We Left Off: Best Zumba Instructor

Second: Best Photographer / Third: Best Doula /Good showing: Best Nail Salon/Technician; Best Personal Trainer; Best Travel Agent

Best Caterer: Wendy Putt, Fresh Cut Catering & Floral

108 Cypress Cove, Flowood, 601.939.4518, wendyputt.com

Second: Mangia Bene (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite101, 601.362.2900)/Third:Cosmopolitan Café and Catering (2947 Old Canton Road, 601.983.4450) /Good Showing: Burgers & Blues (1060 E. CountyLineRoad,Suite22Ridgeland,601.899.0038);Cool Water Café (1011 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland,601.919.7622); Julep Restaurant and Bar (4500Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411); Julie Levanway, Fresh From The Flame (5446 RiverThamesRoad,601.957.6123);Table 100(100RidgeWay,Flowood,601.420.4202)


Subscribe (free) at jfpdaily.com to get on invitation list for Best of Jackson

party in January and other JFP-BOOM throwdowns year-round.

Besides being an outstanding chil-dren’s museum in its own right (it won Best Museum and Best Tourist Attraction), Mississippi

Children’s Museum is making a name for itself as an adult-friendly event space. Kids are not the only ones who can enjoy the 40,000-square-foot museum. The traveling exhibit space is 2,350 square feet of colorful ambiance that is the ideal location to host a ball, pageant or ele-gant reception. The MCM education space, also known as “the clubhouse,” is the per-fect 1,600-square-foot location to throw a family or class reunion, baby shower, or an array of parties. Smaller-sized classrooms are also available for more intimate cel-ebrations or meetings. The Mississippi Children’s Museum also hosts an adults-only annual fundraiser each February called “Ignite the Night.” This year’s theme was “Saddle Up, South-ern Style.” Grownups dressed up in their western best and came out to help raise money to support the museum’s exhibits, programs and community outreach proj-ects. Entertainment from The Colonels and Dain Edwards kept the dance floor packed, while a mechanical bull routinely tossed guests off in the next room. MCM also caters to adults by hosting the After Hours Adventures program one Friday night each month. The program is a fun, innovative alternative to hiring a baby-

sitter while Mom and Dad enjoy date night. Kids spend the evening at the museum, do-ing activities to fit a theme—April’s theme will be “We’re Off to See The Wizard,” and May will have a robots and computer theme. Dinner for the kiddos is included in the fee so Mom can spend that extra time preparing for her date instead of cooking.

Don’t forget to vote for Best of Jackson 2014. Ballot coming in November at bestofjackson.com.


Best Of JacksOn 2013: Urban Living from page 39

BestKidsEvent:KidFest!Ridgeland

Freedom Ridge Park, 235 W. School St., Ridgeland, 601.853.2011,

kidfestridgeland.com second: WellsFest, Janice fowler Boyll Park, last weekend in september (1398 Lakeland Drive, wellschurch.org) / third: Mississippi Children’sMuseum (2145 Highland Drive, 601.981.5469) / Good showing: BooattheZoo (October, 2918 W. capitol st., 601.352.2580); Mississippi State Fair (October, 1200 Mississippi st., 601.362.6121); PumpItUp (1576 Old fannin Road, suite P, 601.992.5866); ZippityDooDah (March, zippitydoodahparade.com)

Best Yoga Studio: Butterfly Yoga3025 N. State St., 601.981.6449,

butterflyyoga.net

second: The Courthouse (46 northtown Drive, 601.956.1300) / third: JoyFlowYoga (7048 Old canton Road, suite 2f, 601.613.4317) / Good showing: StudioOM (665 Duling ave., 601.209.6325); TaraYoga (200 Park circle, suite 4, flowood, 601.932.7700)

BestWomen’sShoes:TheShoeBaratPieces

425 Mitchell Ave., 601.939.5203 second: EarthWalkShoes (4500 Interstate 55, suite 144, 601.981.1975) / third: Maison Weiss (4450 Interstate 55 n., suite 109, 601.981.4621) / Good showing: Cooke & Love Shoes (4500 Interstate 55 n., suite 159, 601.362.6088); Material Girls (182 Promenade Blvd., flowood, 601.992.4533 and Renaissance at colony Parkway, suite 5002, Ridgeland, 601.605.1605); ShoeGallery (820 Wilson Drive, Ridgeland, 601.956.9414)

BestPlacetoBuyKids’ClothesandToys:OldeTymeCommissary

4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 122, 601.366.1849, commissarytoys.com

second: The Children’s Place (1200 e. county Line Road, suite 127, Ridgeland, 601.206.1162 and 122 Dogwood Blvd., flowood, 601.919.9717) / third: Leap Frog Children’s Consignment andMore (104 Village Blvd., Madison, 601.898.0727) / Good showing: Helen’s Young Ages (4750 Interstate 55 n., 601.362.0317); Pop Fizz (1481 canton Mart Road, suite e, 601.977.1000); SweetDreamsChildren’sBoutique (1888 Main st., suite a, Madison, 601.856.2080)

Not For Kids Only // by Pamela Hosey

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Locals boot-scoot-and-boogied all evening at the 2013 “Ignite the Night” benefit.

BestMuseum;BestTouristAttraction:

MississippiChildren’sMuseum2145 Highland Drive, 601.981.5469, mississippichildrensmuseum.com

BestTouristAttractionsecond: Old Capitol Museum (100 n. state st., 601.576.6920) / third: MississippiMuseumof Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive, 601.354.7303) / Good showing: Jackson Zoo (2918 W. capitol st., 601.352.2580); MississippiMuseumofArt (380 s. Lamar st., 601.960.1515); RossBarnettReservoir (therez.ms)

BestMuseumsecond: MississippiMuseumofNaturalScience (2148 Riverside Drive, 601.354.7303) / third: Mississippi Museum of Art (380 s. Lamar st., 601.960.1515) / Good showing: MississippiAgricultural and Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive, 601.432.4500); Old CapitolMuseum (100 s. state st., 601.576.6920); SmithRobertson Museum and Cultural Center (528 Bloom st., 601.960.1457)


The where-to’s and what-for’s in Jackson.The Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau Meeting Planner

Have you considered Jackson, Mississippi, for your next event? Jackson is a fresh destination for your corporate conference, industry trade show, family reunion or fraternal celebration. Your event will take center stage while your delegates enjoy the rich, local culture.

Here’s why a growing number of meeting planners looking for state-of-the-art facilities fi nd Jackson full of warm hospitality, superb venues and exceptional service:

Explore 25 unique museums and attractions, nine exciting outdoor attractions, over 300 entic-ing restaurants, hundreds of annual events and festivals, three historic cultural districts, innu-merable visual and performing arts, hot sports action and cool nightlife.

You’ll be able to choose from 47 hotels and inns to suit your taste and budget. New day spas and a variety of other services provide creature comforts.

Marinated in Southern culture, Jackson is home to a multitude of world-class painters, sculp-tors, dancers, actors, architects, photographers, fi lmmakers, musicians and artisans of many disciplines. And speaking of the City with Soul … don’t forget fi ne, home-grown gospel, blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop and so many other types of music found all around town. Live music and year-’round festivals enliven your senses and recharge your soul!

� e City with Soul is steeped in literary history. Enjoy a tour of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty’s garden and home, one of the most intact literary house museums in the world.

Tour actual locales from Kathryn Stockett’s New York Times best-selling novel “� e Help,” also a major motion picture fi lmed here.

Explore Jackson’s Blues Trail with eleven (and counting) descriptive markers, or relive history through a four-part driving tour of signifi cant Civil Rights Movement sites in the city and dis-cover our growing Mississippi Freedom Trail markers. Discover Jackson’s newest permanent exhibit, “Retrospective Gallery of Medgar Wiley Evers,” at the Smith Robertson Museum

Kids of all ages will love the new Mississippi Children’s Museum that opened in early 2011. � e Jackson Zoo is Mississippi’s only AZA-accredited zoological park with more than 120 species and over 750 animals, including many endangered species.

Downtown Jackson blooms with an urban revitalization that has produced new residential ha-vens, a historic hotel, restaurants that teem with young urban dwellers proud of their city and eager to make sure you have a good time while you’re here. Like to eat? � ere’s fi ne cuisine from chic, southern fusion to fresh Gulf seafood to amazing Soul food at every turn.

� e Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau off ers a range of complimentary meeting planner ser-vices, including a promotional news release, materials for registration packets, photos and materials for custom publications, an opening “welcome,” visitor brochures an invitation packet with letters from the governor, mayor, JCVB, attractions, and businesses, an audiovisual presentation of Jackson and on-site registration assistance complete with pre-printed name badges with ribbons. � e City with Soul is also a city with service.

Let us show you how it’s done in the City with Soul!

Planning a Meeting or Event? Choose Jackson!

2

Visit Jackson is a paid supplement in BOOM Jackson magazine. Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Get more information on visiting Jackson at www.visitjackson.com.

The best way to experience Jackson is to do like the locals do! For the best food,the best atmosphere, and a true taste of Jackson — the locals know the best places to go.

Ask around — one of our award-winning restaurants is sure to make the list!

PASTA & SEAFOOD

BEEF, PORK, VEAL

WOOD-FIRED PIZZA

SALADS & ANTIPASTO

FULL BAR & LOUNGE

#1 WINE LIST

TRUE BAKERY

BEST BREAKFAST

SANDWICHES & SALADS

QUICHES & SOUPS

PASTRY & DESSERTS

COFFEE SHOP WI-FI

NEW YORK PIZZAS

PASTA & PANINI

SUBS & BURGERS

SOUPS & SALADS

DESSERT SCOOP SHOP

FULL BAR & LOUNGE

WHEN IN ROME…

I T A L I A N R E S T A U R A N T & B A R

BravoBuzz.com SalAndMookies.com BroadStBakery.com

601.982.8111 601.368.1919 601.362.2900

Visit our websites to view our full menus.

Tues-Thurs 11AM-9:30PM

Fri-Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 11AM-9PM

Tues-Sat 11:30AM-10PM

(close at 9PM Sundays)Mon-Thurs, 7AM-8PM

Fri-Sat 7AM-9PM, Sun 7AM-3PM

upper levelI-55 N @ Northside Dr (E)

in the565 Taylor Street

downstairs atI-55 N @ Northside Dr (W)

H I S T O R I C

Fondren District

Meeting Planner Guide � e Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (JCVB) is a valuable partner when planning a meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. Whether this is the fi rst time you have planned a meeting or the tenth, we can off er a variety of assistance and experience. From selecting a hotel or a catering company, to a speaker or entertainment, the JCVB can help. Our service-oriented staff along with this informative Meeting Plan-ner Guide will help make planning a meeting in Jackson fun and easy.

� is guide is designed to assist you in coordinating a successful and memorable event. � e section has been strategically designed to serve as a working guide for you. We’ve tried to make the checklists as com-plete as possible so you will have all the information you need to plan a successful event—with no surprises!

Working with the JCVBYou’ll be better prepared to work with the JCVB if you know the an-swers to the following questions:

Are you interested in receiving complete hotel and meeting facility 1.information from various venues?

Do you have specifi c dates for the event? Are dates fl exible?2.

When do you need all your information? Will the proposals be 3.presented to a committee? How many copies will you need?

Who will make the decision regarding your location? What is the 4.timeframe for the decision?

What type of meal functions will your group host, if any?5.

Will you require meeting space? How much? What day/dates/6.time?

Approximately how many will attend each meeting, event and/or 7.food and beverage function?

What is your group’s arrival and departure pattern (days of the 8.week)? How many rooms do you need each night? Do you need guaranteed room rates three days before and after your actual convention?

What other assistance can the Jackson Convention & Visitors 9.Bureau off er?

If this is an annual meeting or event, know your group’s history 10.for hotel room pickup. It is very helpful if you can provide two to fi ve years of history from previous meetings. If you do not know this information, try contacting a previous meeting planner, or contacting the hotels or city convention bureaus where the meeting was held. If you have some old conference programs, try looking through them. � e hotel information is usually printed in them. We understand some of this information may be diffi cult to obtain; however, the more you know, the more the JCVB can help in providing useful information. If you at least know the name of the hotel and the city where the meeting was held, that will be a great start.

4

Jackson Quick Facts� e sparkling, new downtown Jackson Convention Complex is a 330,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility off ering more than 150,000 square feet of luxurious exhibit and meeting space, together with top-notch catering, services and conferencing technology.

Jackson off ers 47 hotels, fl exible meeting space and 5,500 sleeping rooms, 2,000 of which are downtown. Our specialists will help coordi-nate all your convention needs, including hotels, fascinating tours and fun family activities.

� e cuisine is classic Southern, ranging from Soul Food to new South-ern Fusion to your favorite brands among Jackson’s 300 restaurants!

Life in this city pulses with music—gospel, blues, rock, jazz, classical and more. Scores of museums and attractions, hundreds of events, in-numerable visual arts, shopping, sports and cool nightlife await you.

Tips: Make Your Meeting Meaningful

� e agenda must be well-focused on the needs of the attendees 1.(objectives, goals).Meetings generally run from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.2.Plan proactive activities to set ground rules for the meeting 3.format. (Small groups should have more activities than larger groups.)Choose facilities that are receptive to your meeting type.4.Gather as much information as you can about the profi le of your 5.meeting participants.Give a copy of the confi rmed meeting details to pertinent staff to 6.communicate how the daily events are planned.Know your facilitator’s needs.7.

YOUR FIRST CHOICE FORGROUP MEETINGS IN JACKSON

JACKSON MARRIOTT200 E. Amite StreetJackson, MS 39201Phone 601.969.5100www.marriott.com/janmc

DRIVE-IN3016 NORTH STATE STREET - FONDREN ARTS DISTRICT - 601.982.2633 - WALKERSDRIVEIN.COM

Catering & EventsGREAT FOOD AT OUR LOCATION OR YOURS!

At the Very Start Defi ne ...

� e purpose and objectives of the meeting—to you.What will the guests/delegates gain from participating?Who will be the members of the planning group/event committee?Who are the decision maker(s)?Who will be there to help on-site?What do you want to happen? (Work out a preliminary program/agenda).When do you want it to take place? (Remem-ber to check dates for other events). Can you be fl exible on dates?Where do you want it to take place? (Consider parking, transportation, accessibility for dis-abled etc.).What is your budget? (Can you get extra funds if needed? Could you get sponsors?)Whom do you want to attend? Estimate num-ber of guests/delegates.How long would your event be?Do you need to attract guests/delegates by PR? (Develop a relevant media contact list).Do you need to insure the event?

Determine ...Your preferred venues and request their off ers. Let your request include:

Preferred dates and available optional dates.Number, seating format, and size of meet-ing rooms and other facilities needed each day (including times).Need for breaks, lunches, dinners, recep-tions, etc.Number and standard (beds, features) of guest rooms for each day.Type of guests/delegates.Any special requests (e.g. exhibition space, stage).Budget.Your preference packages and/or itemized rates.Any other relevant information.When you need the proposal back.

A rough draft of the program.Inspect the prospective event venue(s).Consider the off ers received:

Which facilities will best accommodate your event?Which will best live up to the expectations of the guests/delegates?Who will be the best partner to work with?Which venue best meets your budget?

Book the event venue(s) and main services.Consider the need for printed material and prepare a timeline for producing it. Invite speakers.

Prepare invitations. Allow the guests/delegates to note their in-dividual requirements (dietary, smoking etc.) on the response form.

3 Months Prior to the EventUpdate your reservation including number of meetings rooms, bedrooms, guests/delegates etc. (Updating minimizes your cancellation or reduction costs.)Order signs and printed material.Order gifts and amenities.Start preparing a scenario (to do list with re-sponsible persons assigned).Prepare your event budget. Check budgets from similar meetings to ensure that all is in-cluded.Consider the unexpected. (e.g. What happens if one of your speakers falls sick?) and prepare contingency plans.Invite guests/delegates.Confi rm guests/delegates participation.

1 Month Prior to the EventChoose and confi rm catering and menusCheck development of speaker’s presentation (remind speakers of presentation due dates, for copying/production of handouts).Check and order speakers’ technical equip-ment requirements.Check and order speakers’ transportation re-quirements.Finalize printed material production.Send rooming list to the hotel. Remember to note special requests (VIPs, etc.).Hold a pre-event meeting with your venue contact to go through the program.Prepare press release for your event.

6Meeting and Event ChecklistPlanning is essential to an event’s success! � is comprehensive check-list can be adapted to any type of event. How far in advance you need to start planning, depends on how complex the event is. Good luck!

At the Very Start Defi ne ...

� e purpose and objectives of the meeting—to you.What will the guests/delegates gain from participating?Who will be the members of the planning group/event committee?Who are the decision maker(s)?Who will be there to help on-site?What do you want to happen? (Work out a preliminary program/agenda).When do you want it to take place? (Remem-ber to check dates for other events). Can you be fl exible on dates?Where do you want it to take place? (Consider parking, transportation, accessibility for dis-abled etc.).What is your budget? (Can you get extra funds if needed? Could you get sponsors?)Whom do you want to attend? Estimate num-ber of guests/delegates.How long would your event be?Do you need to attract guests/delegates by PR? (Develop a relevant media contact list).Do you need to insure the event?

Determine ...Your preferred venues and request their off ers. Let your request include:

Preferred dates and available optional dates.Number, seating format, and size of meet-ing rooms and other facilities needed each day (including times).Need for breaks, lunches, dinners, recep-tions, etc.Number and standard (beds, features) of guest rooms for each day.Type of guests/delegates.Any special requests (e.g. exhibition space, stage).Budget.Your preference packages and/or itemized rates.Any other relevant information.When you need the proposal back.

A rough draft of the program.Inspect the prospective event venue(s).Consider the off ers received:

Which facilities will best accommodate your event?Which will best live up to the expectations of the guests/delegates?Who will be the best partner to work with?Which venue best meets your budget?

Book the event venue(s) and main services.Consider the need for printed material and prepare a timeline for producing it. Invite speakers.

Prepare invitations. Allow the guests/delegates to note their in-dividual requirements (dietary, smoking etc.) on the response form.

3 Months Prior to the EventUpdate your reservation including number of meetings rooms, bedrooms, guests/delegates etc. (Updating minimizes your cancellation or reduction costs.)Order signs and printed material.Order gifts and amenities.Start preparing a scenario (to do list with re-sponsible persons assigned).Prepare your event budget. Check budgets from similar meetings to ensure that all is in-cluded.Consider the unexpected. (e.g. What happens if one of your speakers falls sick?) and prepare contingency plans.Invite guests/delegates.Confi rm guests/delegates participation.

1 Month Prior to the EventChoose and confi rm catering and menusCheck development of speaker’s presentation (remind speakers of presentation due dates, for copying/production of handouts).Check and order speakers’ technical equip-ment requirements.Check and order speakers’ transportation re-quirements.Finalize printed material production.Send rooming list to the hotel. Remember to note special requests (VIPs, etc.).Hold a pre-event meeting with your venue contact to go through the program.Prepare press release for your event.

6Meeting and Event ChecklistPlanning is essential to an event’s success! � is comprehensive check-list can be adapted to any type of event. How far in advance you need to start planning, depends on how complex the event is. Good luck!

7Planning a Family, Fraternal or Military Reunion

one event to another, etc)

toes available for sale to family members?

or picnic?

cial dietary needs?

chosen reunion city for assistance? www.visitjackson.com

picnic venue, meet & greet space)

Complimentary Services provided by the JCVB

� e Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau will assist you in planning a memorable event. Just look at the services we off er:

For a complete listing of the complimentary services the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau provides, please visit our website at www.visitjackson.com.

18 Luxurious Guest Rooms and Suitesprivate event and meeting faicilities

734 Fairview Street, Jackson, MS 39202601-948-3429 www.fairviewinn.com

Relaxing and

Rejuvenating

Southern Cuisine at its

finest


Thank You For

Voting Us One of the Best!

Best Breakfast; Best Place for Dessert; Best Plate Lunch: Primos Café

2323 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.898.3600 primoscafe.com

Best Place for DessertSecond: Amerigo Italian Restaurant (6592 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.977.0563) / Third: Sal and Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St., 601.368.1919) / Good Showing: Bop’s Frozen Custard (Multiple Locations, bopsfrozencustard.com); Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900); Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55, Suite 142, 601.956.9562)

Best BreakfastSecond: Another Broken Egg (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1009, Ridgeland, 601.790.9170) / Third: Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900) / Good Showing: Beagle Bagel Café (Multiple Locations, thebeaglebagelcafe.net); Brent’s Drugs (655 Duling Ave., 601.366.3427); Corner Bakery (108 Market St., Flowood, 601.919.9797; 149 Grandview Blvd., Madison, 601.607.7377)

Best Plate LunchSecond: McDade’s Market (Multiple Locations, mcdadesmarkets.com) / Third: Trace Grill (574 Highway 51 N., Suite F, Ridgeland, 601.853.1014) / Good Showing: Cherokee Inn (1410 Old Square Road, 601.362.6388), Cosmopolitan Café (2947 Old Canton Road, 601.983.4450); Georgia Blue (111 Colony Crossing Way, Madison, 601.898.3330)


Cirque du Be

st

Food & DrinkFood & Drink2013

Legacy and institution are easy words to say and write. What’s not so easy is to actually have enough staying pow-er to have a legacy or to become an

institution. Primos Café is one of the few dining establishments in Jackson that has earned the right to use those words.

With two locations—one on Lakeland Drive in Flowood and one on Lake Harbour Drive in Ridgeland—Primos takes its legacy se-riously. It’s a company that seems to have found the right mix of tradition and innovation to cre-ate a whole new generation of loyal customers without alienating those old enough to remem-ber the Primos of yore. Angelo “Pop” Primos, an immigrant from Greece, and his wife, Mildred, started the busi-ness as a bakery in 1929. With the help of vari-ous family members, Pop eventually expanded Primos from a bakery into a café, opening sev-eral locations across the city. After a fire burned down Primos Number Two on State Street on Jan. 19, 1994, the Primos family decided not to rebuild at that location. While other family members decided to go in different directions the next year—Will Pri-mos went on to start Primos Hunting Calls, and Ken Primos became a real estate investor—Don Primos became the cafe’s sole proprietor. After the closing of Primos Northgate, which special-ized in banquet dining, Don decided to move to more of what Primos’ Director of Operations Tony Mansoor refers to as a “quick, casual con-cept.” Apparently, it was a good move: Primos Café opened at 2323 Lakeland Drive in Flowood more than 11 years ago to substantial crowds. “Going into it, he didn’t know what to ex-pect or how people were going to respond to it,” Mansoor says. “And the initial response was much greater than he had ever anticipated or planned for.” That overwhelming response led Primos

to expand again three years later, this time to its Lake Harbour location in Ridgeland. Both locations still focused on what’s been a staple for nearly a century: its Primos baked goods. While chefs at both locations bake the cookies and other small goodies in the bakery case,

they split up the cake-baking duties. Primos’ most popular cake, caramel, is made at the Lakeland location, and all the other cakes are made at the Lake Harbour location. Baked goods aren’t the only thing that keep people coming back. Primos has blue-plate specials every day, some of which people plan their lunch breaks around. “The bulk of our business is lunch. We are known for our blue-plate lunches,“ Man-

soor says. “A few items will rotate and change, while a few items always stay the same because there’s such demand for it (that) if we removed it, we’d be run out of town.” Mansoor points out Thursday’s choices of fried chicken or turkey and dressing as an example of one of the specials that’s not going anywhere anytime soon. It would be easy to assume that a restau-rant that specializes in such fare as made-from-scratch baked goods and southern comfort food doesn’t put much stock in healthy eating, but that would be a mistake. Mansoor says that all of the six or seven vegetable choices avail-able daily are made fresh in-house. “Don has gone to great lengths to make it as healthy as possible,” Mansoor says. “It’s all vegetable-based items, and if it doesn’t have to be in there from a fat standpoint, then it’s not going to be in there at all.” Given Primos’ history of expansion, one has to wonder what the company has in mind for the future. Mansoor is tight-lipped about de-tails, but does offer a hint about where Primos is headed. “When the time is right, we would like to share Primos with other locations around the Jackson metro area,” Mansoor says. “We feel like there are some strong areas that would be a good fit for Primos, so it’s just a matter of tim-ing and finding the right place and making sure we’re set up to do that.” Mary Claire Primos, marketing director for the restaurants and Don Primos’ daughter, adds that the family plans to continue striving for the highest quality food, in the cleanest environment with the friendliest service in the industry. As for growth, they are exploring more opportunities and location in the Jackson metro. “It’s neat that Primos has been a part of so many people’s lives for such a long period of time,” Mansoor says.

A Family Legacy // by Brent Hearn // photos by Trip Burns

Primos Cafe at 515 Lake Harbour Drive is the newest location for the classic eatery after a century of expansion.


BestBreakfast;BestPlaceforDessert;BestPlateLunch:PrimosCafé

2323 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.898.3600 primoscafe.com

BestPlaceforDessertSecond: Amerigo Italian Restaurant (6592 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.977.0563) / Third: Sal and Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St., 601.368.1919) / Good Showing: Bop’s Frozen Custard (Multiple Locations, bopsfrozencustard.com); Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900); CharRestaurant (4500 Interstate 55, Suite 142, 601.956.9562)

BestBreakfastSecond: Another Broken Egg (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1009, Ridgeland, 601.790.9170) / Third: BroadStreetBakingCompany(4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900) / Good Showing: Beagle Bagel Café (Multiple Locations, thebeaglebagelcafe.net); Brent’sDrugs (655 Duling Ave., 601.366.3427); Corner Bakery (108 Market St., Flowood, 601.919.9797; 149 Grandview Blvd., Madison, 601.607.7377)

BestPlateLunchSecond: McDade’s Market (Multiple Locations, mcdadesmarkets.com) / Third: TraceGrill (574 Highway 51 N., Suite F, Ridgeland, 601.853.1014) / Good Showing: CherokeeInn (1410 Old Square Road, 601.362.6388), CosmopolitanCafé (2947 Old Canton Road, 601.983.4450); GeorgiaBlue (111 Colony Crossing Way, Madison, 601.898.3330)

52 May - June 2013 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com

BestBurger;BestFrenchFries:Burgers&Blues

1060 E. County Line Road, Suite 22, Ridgeland, 601.899.0038, burgersblues.com

BestBurgerSecond: MugshotsGrill&Bar (4245 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.932.4031) / Third: StampsSuperburger (1801 Dalton St., 601.352.4555) / Good Showing: Cool Al’s (4654 McWillie Drive, 601.713.3020); FiveGuys Burgers and Fries (122 Market St., Flowood,

601.919.1995; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 2001, Ridgeland, 601.605.1115); MajesticBurger (1067 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601.707.0093)

BestFrenchFriesSecond: CoolAl’s (4654 McWillie Drive, 601.713.3020) / Third: MugshotsGrill&Bar (4245 Lakeland Drive, 601.932.4031) / Good Showing: Five Guys Burgersand Fries (122 Market St., Flowood, 601.919.1995; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 2001, Ridgeland, 601.605.1115); Rooster’s (2906 N. State St., 601.982.2001); StampsSuperburger (1801 Dalton St., 601.352.4555)

BestNewRestaurant:Bruno’sAdobo

127 S. Roach St., Suite 1200, 601.944.9501

Second: Anjou Restaurant (361 Township Ave., Ridgeland, 601.707.0587) / Third: The Islander (220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 100, 601.366.5441) / Good Showing: Jaco’sTacos (318 S. State St., 601.961.7001); Signa’sGrille (680 Highway 51 N., Suite E, Ridgeland, 601.853.0266); Sombra Mexican Kitchen (140 Township Ave., Suite 100, Ridgeland, 601.707.7950)

People are funny about vegans. Once when we were staying at a bed and breakfast, the check-in lady asked if we had any dietary restrictions. My

mother, who is both vegan and polite enough to eat non-vegan food while being a guest, said we didn’t. “Oh good,” the hostess said in the tone of voice that popular kids in high school mov-ies use to describe the marching band. “Those vegans are impossible to feed.” Despite popular misconceptions, food that doesn’t include meat can be delicious. If you don’t believe me, head over to High Noon Café, located in Rainbow Grocery in Fondren. Chef Troy Woodson says he once thought that vegan food was little more then raw vege-tables. Woodson started cooking vegan food 15 years ago in Charlottesville, Va. Now, he speaks out against people’s misconceptions of vegan food. “(People) don’t think it tastes good,” he says. “They think it’s just steamed broccoli.” This can result in some awkward interac-tions. Numerous times, people come into the

restaurant after shopping in Rainbow, unaware the menu is vegetarian. “You go get their water and come back, and they might not be there.” Woodson says. Other times, people are still there but ask him to talk them into staying. “Don’t be misled because it’s vegetarian. We actually serve some good food,” he says. The most popular item on the menu is the Blue Bowl. It’s a bowl of brown rice, with various vegetables and a teriyaki, Thai peanut or sesame-ginger sauce. Woodson’s personal

favorites are the quesadillas and the “Good-burger,” one of his own creations. Woodson crafted the patty out of black-eyed peas instead of meat. He and the staff tasted it, made a couple of jokes referencing the Nickelodeon classic “Goodburger,” and the name stuck. The ingredients for the meals all come from Rainbow or other local suppliers, and if you are stumped about how to cook a dish, just ask Woodson, and he’ll give you the recipe. “Ev-erything we do in High Noon is so you’ll go buy the ingredients in Rainbow,” Woodson says. He also insists that there’s nothing special or more challenging about cooking vegan food. “It’s no different than any other kind of cooking.” The food on the menu is relatively cheap, with nothing exceeding $10, and that’s before student discounts. The only downside is that the restaurant is only open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week. For anyone reading who’s still suspicious about the food, know that Chef Woodson is on your side. When I asked him about vegan re-placements for cheese, he retorted, “(Person-ally), there’s no replacement for cheese.”

High Noon Cafe can make even the most ardent carnivores consider changing their diet.

TRiP

bu

RN

S

bEST OF JACkSON 2013: Food & drink from page 51

BestPlaceforHealthyFood;BestVegetarianOptions:

HighNoonCafé2807 Old Canton Road,

601.366.1602, ext. 3

BestPlaceforHealthyFoodSecond: Bruno’s Adobo (127 S. Roach St., Suite 1200, 601.944.9501) / Third: RainbowNaturalGroceryCooperative (2807 Old Canton Road, 601.366.1602) / Good Showing: AladdinMediterranean Grill (730 Lakeland Drive, 601.366.6033); Jason’s Deli (1067 E. County

Line Road, 601.206.9191);Newk’sExpressCafé (Multiple Locations, newks.com)

BestVegetarianOptionsSecond: Aladdin Mediterranean Grill (730 Lakeland Drive 601.366.6033) / Third: Bruno’s Adobo (127 S. Roach St., Suite 1200, 601.944.9501) / Good Showing: BRAVO! ItalianRestaurant and Bar (4500 interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601.982.8111); Rainbow NaturalGrocery Cooperative (2807 Old Canton Road, 601.366.1602); Spice Avenue (4711 interstate 55 N., 601.982.0890); Table100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202)

High Time to Try Vegan// by Mo Wilson


Best Place to Get Coffee: Cups: An Espresso Café

Multiple Locations, cupsespressocafe.com

Second: Sneaky Beans (2914 N. State St., 601.487.6349) / Third: Seattle Drip (Multiple Locations, seattledrip.com) / Good Showing: Beagle Bagel Café (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 145, 769.251.1892); 100 Mannsdale Park Drive, Suite II, Madison, 601.856.4377; 898 Avery Blvd., 601.956.1773, Ridgeland); Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900), Koinonia Coffee House (136 S. Adams St., 601.960.3008)

Best Ethnic Restaurant; Best Mediterranean/Middle Eastern:

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill730 Lakeland Drive 601.366.6033,

aladdininjackson.com

Best Ethnic RestaurantSecond: Spice Avenue (4711 Interstate 55 N., 601.982.0890) / Third: Abeba Ethiopian Restaurant, now closed (3716 Interstate 55 N., 601.713.1500) / Good Showing: Babalu Tacos and Tapas (622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601.366.5757); Saigon (2640 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.420.4848); Thai House (1405 Old Square Road, 601.982.9991)

Best Mediterranean/ Middle EasternSecond: Mediterranean Fish and Grill (6550 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.956.0082) / Third: Petra Café (2741 Old Canton Road, 601.366.0161) / Good Showing: Abeba Ethiopian Restaurant, now closed, (3716 Interstate 55 N., 601.713.1500); Keifer’s(710 Poplar Blvd., 601.355.6825); Mezza (1896 Main St., Madison, 601.853.0876) Spice Avenue (4711 Interstate 55 N., 601.982.0890)

Best Lunch Buffet; Best Soul Food: Mama Hamil’s

Southern Cookin’ 480 Magnolia St., Madison, 601.856.4407,

hamils.com

Best Lunch BuffetSecond: Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St., 601.353.1180) / Third: Ichiban (359 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.919.8879) / Good Showing: Country Fisherman (3110 Highway 80, 601.944.9933); Spice Avenue (4711 Interstate 55 N., 601.982.0890); Thai House (1405 Old Square Road, 601.982.9991)

Best Soul FoodSecond: Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St., 601.353.1180) / Third: Peaches (327 N. Farish St., 601.354.9267) / Good Showing: Bully’s Restaurant (3118 Livingston Road, 601.362.0484); Collins Dream Kitchen (1439 Terry Road, 601.353.3845); Gloria’s Kitchen (2855 Bailey Ave., Suite A, 601.362.0009)

Best Asian: Pan-Asia720 Harbor Pointe Crossing, Ridgeland,

601.956.2958, pan-asia.com

Second (tie): Thai House (1405 Old Square Road, 601.982.9991); Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking (5465 Interstate 55 N., 601.978.1865) / Third: Ichiban (359 Ridgeway, Flowood, 601.919.8879) / Good Showing: Bonsai Japanese Steak House (1925 Lakeland Drive, 601.981.0606); Nagoya Japanese Restaurant (6351 Interstate 55 N., Suite 131, 601.977.8881; 111 Colony Crossing, Suite 380, Madison, 601.856.5678); Sakura Bana (4800 Interstate 55 N., Suite 11, 601.982.3035)

Best Doughnuts: Scurlock’s Donut Shop and Eatery

125 S. Congress St., Suite 106, 601.326.8520, scurlockdonuts.com

Second: Donut Palace (Multiple Locations, 601.919.8601) / Third: Shipley’s Do-Nuts (103 Highway 80 E., Clinton, 601.925.0020) / Good Showing: Monroe’s (6310 Medgar Evers Blvd., 601.981.3208); Pillow Donuts (1679 Old Fannin Road, Suite D, Flowood, 601.992.6040; 707 Beau Pre Drive, Ridgeland, 601.790.9697); Sweet Sensations (5036 Parkway Drive, 769.233.7409)

Best Bakery, Best Place to Buy Cakes: Campbell’s Bakery3013 N. State St., 601.362.4628,

campbellsbakery.ms Best BakerySecond: Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900) / Third: Primos Café (2323 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbor Drive, Ridgeland, 601.898.3600) / Good Showing: Beagle Bagel Café (Multiple Locations, thebeaglebagelcafe.net); Corner Bakery (108 Market St., Flowood,

601.919.9797; 149 Grandview Blvd., Madison, 601.607.7377); Great Harvest Bread Company(5006 Parkway Drive, 601.956.4406; 500 Highway 51, Ridgeland, 601.856.3313)

Best Place to Buy CakesSecond: Primos Café (2323 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbor Drive, Ridgeland, 601. 898.3600) / Third: That Special Touch (2769 Old Brandon Road, Pearl, 601.932.5223) / Good Showing: Crazy Cat Bakers (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 173, 601.362.7448); Dream Cakes (1006 Top St., Suite D, Flowood, 601. 992.2708); Fat Cake Guy (5352 Lakeland Drive, Suite 2000, Flowood, 601.992.9623)

Campbell’sCakes// by Kathleen M. Mitchell

It’s not just the sign outside Campbell’s Bakery that looks old-fashioned. The

bakers there do most things the old-fashioned way, baking their sweet treats by hand, using ingredients that have been around forever. Although the ex-act recipe is classifi ed (you don’t get to be the best by giving away your secrets!), Camp-bell’s Mitchell Moore shared the ingredients that go into one of the bakery’s most popular orders, the chocolate fudge cake.

all-purpose fl our

sugar

dark brown sugar

cocoa powderbaking soda

salt

buttermilk

butter

whole eggs

vanilla

semi-sweet chocolate chips

butter

sugar

salt

all-purpose

chips

vanilla

dark brown

cocoa powdercocoa powder

whole eggs

dark brown

whole eggs

baking soda

all-purpose fl ourall-purpose fl ourall-purpose

buttermilk

all-purpose

Ask Mitchell// by Kathleen M. Mitchell

How many types of wine does BRAVO! stock? Onaverage,wehaveabout400labelsonthewinelist.ThelasttimeIdidinventory,wehadabout$66,000worthofinventory—whatwepay,notwhatthevaluetothecustomerwouldbe.Anditchanges.Inthesummer,wedefinitelygothroughalotmoresauvignonblancsandRieslings,whereasinthewin-ter,we’llbeefupon(cabernets)andheavierreds.

What if someone wants to impress a wino? What should they bring as a host or hostess gift? Well, this iswhere it canbe tricky. I havefriendsthatcomein,andsomeofthemaresom-meliersaswell,andsomeofthemdon’tdrinkdo-mesticsthatoften.Theyareallabouttheimports.WehaveothersthatcomeinandtheyareallaboutthatStag’sLeapdistrict,thatNapa(cabernet).Theywantsomethingoldschoollikethat.So,depend-ingonyourperson,youneedtoknowthem. One thing about the Frenchwines:They’vebeendoingitforcenturies,soyoucanprettymuchcountontheproducerdeliveringqualityyearafteryear.AndthenyougetintoplacesliketheNapaValley (where) single-vineyard bottlings are alsoreally reliable year after year. So if you can getsomething that is single vineyard,whether yourpersonisintoforeignordomestic,orcabernetsorchardonnay,singlevineyardsarealwaysaspecialtreattohaveasagiftforsomeone.

What about here at BRAVO!—what are your most popular orders? Not too longago,weaddedaFrancisFordCoppolawinetoourmenu.Hedoesafewdifferentcollectionsofwine,onethat’scalleddirector’scut.There’sanotherthat’scalledthediamondcollec-tion.Hedoessomereallyhigh-endwinesandthenonethat’skindofaneverydayvaluewinethatwepourherebytheglassthat’scalledVotreSanté,andit’sthepinotnoirthatwepourhere.It’saverysimplepinotnoir,butit’sdelicious;wegothroughalotofthat. Thenwehaveachardonnaythat’scalledSim-pleLifefromDonSebastianiandSons,andtheyare four generations of winemakers, so they’vekeptitinthefamily.Andwegothroughquiteabitofthat.Andit’s$6.75aglass,andit’sdelicious.Thoseareprobablyourtoptwosellers.

What do you think the difference is in having a favorite that you pair with everything versus having a variety of wines? Ilovehavingavarietyofwines,because,firstandforemost,wenowhaveKarlGorlineasoneofourmainchefs.Andyouneverknowwhathe’sgoingtothrowoutofthatkitchen.Theothernighthehadabone-marrowencrustedtunawithablack-eyed-peacake.Andthensometimes,he’sgoingtothrowsomethingreallyold-schoolFrenchoutatyou.Soyouhavetohavethingsinyourarsenaltopairwithhisfoods.Andthenwehaveotherchefsthatpreparespecialsaswell. Andthenwehavepeople—lastnightwehadaguestfromGermany.Soit’sgoodtohavewinesfromallovertheworld,becausewedohaveclientelefromothercountriesthatcometovisitBRAVO!

Best Wine List/Selection: BRAVO! Italian Restaurant

and Bar4500 Interstate 55, Suite 244, 601.982.8111, bravobuzz.com

Second: Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202) / Third: Kats Wine and Spirits (921 E. Fortification St., 601.983.5287) / Good Showing: Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142, 601.956.9562); Parlor Market (115 W. Capitol St., 601.360.0090); Shapley’s Restaurant (868 Centre St., Ridgeland, 601.957.3753)

Best Beer Selection: The Bulldog6111 Ridgewood Road, 601.978.3502,

bulldog-jackson.draftfreak.com Second: McDade’s Market (Multiple Locations, mcdadesmarkets.com) / Third: Martin’s Lounge (214 S. State St., 601.354.9712) / Good showing: Buffalo Wild Wings (808 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.856.0789); Hal & Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St., 601.948.0888); Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St., 601.368.1919)

Best Kids Menu; Best Place for Ice Cream: Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint

565 Taylor St., 601.368.1919, salandmookies.com

Best Kids MenuSecond: McAlister’s Deli (Multiple Locations, mcalistersdeli.com) / Third (tie): Newk’s Express Café (Multiple Locations, newks.com); Primos Café (2323 Lakeland Drive, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.898.3600) / Good Showing: Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900); Burgers & Blues (1060 E. County Line Road, Suite 22, Ridgeland, 601.899.0038)

Best Place for Ice CreamSecond: Bop’s Frozen Custard (Multiple Locations, bopsfrozencustard.com) / Third: Cold Stone Creamery (1888 Main St., Suite B, Madison, 601.853.7400) / Good Showing: Berry Berry Good Yogurt (545 Parkway, Flowood, 601.992.2786; 111 Colony Crossing, Suite 490, Madison, 601.898.8286; 1060 Highway 51, Suite A-1, Madison, 769.300.0195); Brent’s Drugs (655 Duling Ave., 601.366.3427); Sweet Tree Yogurt (772 Lake Harbour Drive, Suite 5, Ridgeland, 601.707.5491)

Best Italian: Amerigo Italian Restaurant

6592 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.977.0563, amerigo.net

Second: BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 244, 601.982.8111) / Third: Cerami’s Italian Restaurant (5417 Lakeland Drive, 601.919.2829) / Good Showing: Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano (970 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601.354.6600); Fratesi’s Italian Foods (910 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.956.2929); Rossini Cucina Italiana (207 W. Jackson St., Suite A, Ridgeland, 601.856.9696)


BEST OF JACKSON 2013: Food & drink from page 53

BRAVO!’s resident sommelier Mitchell Earry let us in on the secrets of the wine business.

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Best Fried Chicken: Two Sisters Kitchen

707 N. Congress St., 601.353.1180

Second: Julep Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411) / Third: Mama Hamil’s Southern Cookin’ (480 Magnolia St., Madison, 601.856.4407) / Good Showing: Fannin Mart (5419 Highway 25, Flowood, 601.992.0411); Primos Café (2323 Lakeland Drive, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.898.3600); Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202)

Best Greek Restaurant: Keifer’s710 Poplar Blvd., 601.355.6825, keifers.net; 120 N. Congress St., 601.353.4976,

keifersdowntown.com

Second: Kristos (971 Madison Ave., Madison, 601.605.2266) / Third: Wraps (1220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 420, 601.366-2006) / Good Showing: Bill’s Greek Tavern (4760 McWillie Drive, 601.982.9295); Krilakis–Casual Greek Dining (207 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland, 601.790.9463); Vasilios Greek Cuisine (828 Highway 51, Madison, 601.853.0028)

Best Gumbo: Que Será Será2801 N. State St., 601.981.2520,

queserams.com

Second: Hal & Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St., 601.948.0888) / Third: Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142, 601.956.9562) / Good Showing: Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900); Fat Tuesday’s (6923 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.956.2971); Sal & Phil’s (6600 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.957.1188)

A t Mr. Chen’s Oriental Su-permarket, shoppers are immediately greeted by a mixture of the familiar

and the unexpected. The store is the biggest Asian grocery in the Jackson metro area, located off Interstate 55 next to Big Lots. The market features a delight-ful hodgepodge of ingredients from all over Asia, from Vietnamese pho noodles to the popular Japanese snack food called Pocky. Some of the most bizarre food items are among the more common supermarket ingredients like toma-toes. Here are a few things you might

fi nd tucked away on the shelves at Mr. Chen’s.

Dried Bamboo Fungus (aka Veiled Lady) On an aisle with other dried vegetables and mushrooms, this bag of beige mossy-looking plants was easily the most extreme ingredi-ent. Hailing from China, this bamboo fungus is also called the Veiled Lady due to the moss that hangs down over the stem of the plant. If you’re feeling adventurous, try using it in egg rolls or other vegetarian dishes. The Chicago Reader found someone who used it in a cocktail.

Grilled Seaweed Super Crisps Located in the snack-food aisle, this treat comes from the Thai com-pany Tao Kae Noi, which sells other seaweed goodies. The packaging looks a lot like any chip bag (except for the whole seaweed part). Instead of fl avors such as “cool ranch” or “nacho cheese,” these come in hot chilli squid fl avor. In an aisle full of treasures, it was tough to pick out this a favorite—the shrimp-fl avored chips gave it a run for its money.

Banana Flower Find this delicacy in the produce next to the regular bananas. This bur-gundy fl ower bud bears little resem-blance to a typical banana and must weigh at least a pound. Most com-mon in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, you can peel the fl ower apart like an

onion to reveal a white heart, which you can be chop up and put into sal-ads or curry.

Fish Head Find pink fi sh heads the size of two fi sts in the seafood section. The meat and eyeballs from these heads are usually fried or put into soups. While initially it sounds gross, eating a fi sh eyeball is probably not so dif-ferent from sucking a crawfi sh head.

Red Bean Ice Bar The name of this Korean popsi-cle, located in the freezer section, tells you everything you need to know. For extra fun, give an unwrapped one to someone, tell him or her it’s straw-berry fl avored, and see if they notice the difference. For potentially funnier results, try giving it to a toddler.

Pink fi sh heads aren’t even the strangest ingredient found at Mr. Chen’s Oriental Supermarket.

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Best Chinese Restaurant: Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking

5465 Interstate 55 N., 601.978.1865 Second: Ichiban Sushi and Chinese Buffet (153 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.919.0097) / Third: King Buffet (6380 Ridgewood Court Drive, Suite I, 601.956.6700) / Good Showing: Best Wok Chinese Restaurant (225 Meadowbrook Road, 601.368.9555); China Belle (1855 Lakeland Drive, Suite E10, 601.368.9588); Ding How Asian Bistro (6955 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.956.1717); Five Happiness Chinese Restaurant (2931 McDowell Road Extension, 601.371.8765)

// by Mo WilsonStrange Things Afoot at Mr. Chen’s// by Mo WilsonStrange Things Afoot at Mr. Chen’s// by Mo WilsonStrange Things Afoot at Mr. Chen’s// by Mo WilsonStrange Things Afoot at Mr. Chen’s


Best Of JacksOn 2013: Food & drink from page 55

Mississippi does not have a horse in the rib race. Unlike Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City or the Caroli-nas (Texas, get your beef ribs out

of my face), Mississippi lacks a particular style of ribs to claim and obnoxiously champion over all the others. We are, in fact, equal-opportunity pork eaters. I will say this, though—if Mississippi were to declare our own style of ribs, I’d hope they taste something like the ones from E & L Barbeque (1111 Bailey Ave., 601. 355.5035). Drowning in a pool of sweet and tangy sauce, the ribs from E & L are so big they seem more appropriate at a Flintstones feast than in a Styrofoam container. Meaty and tender, these hunks of pork fall apart under their own weight. Sausage links, chicken wings and rib tips are available, but if you are picking a protein at E & L, just get the ribs, or at least the rib tips. Like any self-respecting rib joint, white bread is an automatic side, useful for mopping up that addictive barbecue sauce and occasion-ally using as a napkin. The usual supplemental fare of baked beans, potato salad and French fries is all available, but deserve no special ac-claim. Although, when asked if you’d like bar-becue sauce on your fries, please say yes—you won’t regret it. The drink selection is limited to basically

two flavors of Nehi ... Or was it Faygo? I can’t remember, but I got a purple one. Neverthe-less, the beverages are a moot point because you’ll probably be tak-ing your barbecue home to devour it. There are tables available for dining in, but you get the feeling that they’d just rather you go home to eat. I’ve been to E & L many times, and I’m the only person I’ve ever seen eating inside. The ordering process at E & L is ef-ficient. Orders come out with haste, but in the meantime it’s always nice to watch the pitmaster poke and prod and rearrange the siz-zling meat on the revolving racks. It’s an unfortunate cliché to say E & L Barbeque is in a less-than-perfect part of town. Sure, it’s not Highland Village, but I’ve never felt even the slightest bit unsafe at E & L. A security guard is always on hand to allay any unease, but you’ll probably be far too hypnotized by the wafting smell of charred meat to even notice your surroundings. Let’s be honest here: All ribs are good.

Dry or wet, sweet or tangy, mustard or molas-ses, ribs are always a treat. There is something

primitive and comforting about eating with your hands, sauce covering your face and the futile reach for a napkin. The worst part about E & L Barbeque, however, is the ride home with the take-out box. I put my ribs in the passenger seat and cautiously strap a seat belt around them, partly to keep them from spilling open and part-ly to keep myself from reaching over and eating one on the way home.

Rib Heaven// by andrew Ousley

BestBarbecue;BestPlaceforRibs:

E&LBarbecue1111 Bailey Ave., 601.355.5035 BestBarbecuesecond: Hickory Pit (1491 canton

Mart Road, 601.956.7079) / third: Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q (2603 Highway 80 W., 601.355.7434; 1374 W. Government st., Brandon, 601.825.7675) / Good showing: ChimneyvilleSmokehouse (970 High st., 601. 354.4665); Haute Pig (1856 Main st., Madison, 601.853.8538); State

Street Barbeque (960 n. state st., 601.961.3433)

BestPlaceforRibssecond: Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q (2603 Highway 80 W., 601.355.7434; 1374 W. Government st., Brandon, 601. 825.7675) /

third: Hickory Pit (1491 canton Mart Road, 601.956.7079) / Good showing: ChimneyvilleSmokehouse (970 High st., 601. 354.4665); Haute Pig (1856 Main st., Madison, 601.853.8538); StateStreet Barbeque (960 n. state st., 601.961.3433)

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BestSeafood:Sal&Phil’s6600 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.957.1188

second: The Mayflower (123 W. capitol st., 601.355.4122) / third: AJ’sSeafoodGrille (223 Ridge Way, flowood, 601.919.1900) / Good showing: Bonefish Grill (201 colony Way, Madison, 601.607.3334); Crab’sSeafoodShack (6954 Old canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.956.5040);Walker’sDrive-In (3016 n. state st., 601.982.2633)

BestOutdoorDining:BabaluTacosandTapas622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601.366.5757, babalums.com

second: Que Será Será (2801 n. state st., 601.981.2520) / third: Keifer’s (710 poplar Blvd., 601.355.6825; 120 n. congress st., 601.353.4976) / Good showing: Burgers&Blues (1060 e. county Line Road, suite 22, Ridgeland); Kristos–CasualGreekDining (971 Madison ave., Madison, 601.605.2266); Walker’sDrive-In (3016 n. state st., 601.982.2633)

Best Take-Out: OEC Japanese Express

Multiple Locations, oecflowood.comSecond: Newk’s Express Café (Multiple Locations,newks.com)/Second:BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate55N.,Suite244,601.982.8111)/ Good Showing: Best Wok Chinese Restaurant(225MeadowbrookRoad,601.368.9555); Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking (5465 Interstate 55 N.,601.978.1865); Tokyo Express (900 E. County LineRoad, Suite 150A, Ridgeland, 601.899.8838; 5050Interstate55N.,SuiteD,601.957.1558)

Best Ethnic or Specialty Grocer: Rainbow Natural Grocery

Cooperative2807 Old Canton Road, 601.366.1602,

rainbowcoop.orgSecond: Mr. Chen’s Oriental Supermarket (5465Interstate 55 N., 601.978.1865) / Third: Aladdin Grocery (740 Lakeland Drive, 601.366.2102) / GoodShowing: High Noon Café (2807 Old Canton Road,601.366.1602, ext. 3); Fresh Market (1000 HighlandColony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601.856.2866); Patel Brothers(1999Highway80,Suite15,601.353.6611)

Best Wings: WingstopMultiple Locations, wingstop.com

Second: Buffalo Wild Wings (808 Lake HarbourDrive,Ridgeland,601.856.0789)/Third:Wing Station(5038ParkwayDrive,888.769.9464)/GoodShowing:American Deli (3645Highway80W.,601.355.2448);Pizza Shack (925 E. Fortification St., 601.352.2001; 5045 Parkway Drive, 601.957.1975); Sal & Mookie’s New York and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St.,601.368.1919)

Best Place to Eat When Someone Else Pays: Walker’s Drive-In

3016 N. State St., 601.982.2633 walkersdrivein.com

Second: Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N.,Suite 142, 601.956.9562) / Third: Parlor Market(115 W. Capitol St., 601.360.0090) / Good Showing:Nick’s Restaurant(3000OldCantonRoad,Suite105,601.981.8017);Shapley’s Restaurant(868CentreSt.,Ridgeland,601.957.3753);Table 100(100RidgeWay,Flowood,601.420.4202)

Best Restaurant: Table 100100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202,

tableonehundred.comSecond: Walker’s Drive-In (3016 N. State St.,601.982.2633)/Third:BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar(4500Interstate55N.,Suite244,601.982.8111)/GoodShowing:Babalu Tacos and Tapas(622DulingAve.,Suite106,601.366.5757);Julep Restaurant and Bar(4500Interstate55N.,Suite105,601.362.1411);Parlor Market(115W.CapitolSt.,601.360.0090)

Best Japanese/Sushi: Nagoya Japanese Restaurant

6351 Interstate 55 N., Suite 131, 601.977.8881; 111 Colony Crossing, Suite

380, Madison, 601.856.5678, nagoya-ms.com

Second: Sakura Bana (4800 Interstate 55 N.,601.982.3035) /Third:Little Tokyo (876AveryBlvd.,Ridgeland, 601.991.3800) / Good Showing: Bonsai Japanese Steak House (1925 Lakeland Drive,601.981.0606); Ichiban (359 Ridge Way, Flowood,601.919.8879);Wasabi Sushi and Bar(100E.CapitolSt.,Suite105,601.948.8808)


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BEST OF JACKSON 2013: FOOD & DRINK from page 57

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Best Brunch: Julep Restaurant and Bar

4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411

juleprestaurant.com

Julep deserves boasting rights for having the best brunch in Jack-son. The restaurant’s shrimp and grits take hot breakfast cereal to an entirely different level, with smoked Gouda cheese grits and jumbo sau-téed shrimp. Don’t be fooled by how simple shrimp toast sounds. This one is baked bay shrimp over Parmesan toast on a bed of sautéed spinach and topped with a lemon beurre blanc. The dish is rich, creamy and complex. Fried green tomatoes star in Ju-lep’s fried green tomato Benedict and their green tomato Napoleon. Julep’s award-winning fried chicken is tossed in a honey-rose-mary glaze and served with red-skinned mashed potatoes and black-ened green beans. The chicken is also available grilled, but do you really want to mess with perfection?

Best Meal Under $10; Best Sandwich Place: Newk’s Express Café

Multiple Locations, newks.com

A winner for best sandwiches in Jackson, Newk’s has a great menu that draws devotees to its multiple locations throughout the metro area. Fresh ingredients and plenty of fl avor give punch to sandwiches on chewy baguette-style bread, artisan pizzas, hearty soups and generous salads. Chicken salad is a favorite, along with the lobster and crab bisque. The pi-mento cheese is so good it’s bound to make little old ladies jealous. They’ve even got several vegetarian options, including the vegetarian club sandwich, tomato basil or mushroom bisque soups and the veggie, fi ve cheese or margherita pizzas. At the Roundtable condiment bar, fi nd fresh cracked pepper, hot sauces, roasted garlic cloves, crou-tons, bread sticks, sweet and sour pickles, capers and Parmesan cheese. What sandwich could not be kicked up by adding some of those?

Most Innovative Menu: Parlor Market115 W. Capitol St.,

601.360.0090, parlormarket.com

From the location and its interior to the food itself, it’s clear that the in-tent of Parlor Market is to tell a story. The narrative is rich and deeply woven with history, culture and community. The restaurant highlights the culinary ethnicity of the region and maintains close relationships with local farmers and providers. Parlor Market incorporates lo-cally sourced ingredients into its dish-es, refl ecting the myriad of cultures in the region. Contemporary cuisine and tradition meet as you experience the fl avors of low country, Cajun and Cre-ole, the Mississippi Delta, Lebanese, Greek, Asian, Italian and Native Amer-ican cultures. The menu, which changes sev-eral times throughout the year, in-cludes seafood from the Gulf Coast up to North Carolina, rabbit, quail, wild game from Texas and heirloom tomatoes its own bartender grows.

Best Hangover Food: Cherokee Inn

1410 Old Square Road, 601.362.6388

cherokeedriveinn.com

The same beloved dive bar that fed you pre-beer, belly-coating greasy goodness also has the answer to your hangover the next day. The Cherokee Inn has great fried dill pick-les, gravy fries and burgers to soften the indulgence from the night before. If you need more comfort food for your aching head and unsettled stomach, they have other options, too. An appetizer of comeback sauce and crackers is a southern favorite—saltines are excellent hangover food. The Cherokee Inn’s famous daily plate lunch specials consist of a meat plus three sides. Meat and veggies are packed with amino acids that help the body recover. The house specialty po-boy is the Cherokee. It is on a baguette with thickly sliced ham, deli turkey, ba-con, melted cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

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Best Brunch: Julep Restaurant and Bar4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411

juleprestaurant.com

Second: Nick’s Restaurant (3000 Old Canton Road, 601.981.8017) / Third: Another Broken Egg (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1009, Ridgeland, 601.790.9170) / Good Showing: Char Res-taurant (4500 Interstate 55, Suite 142, 601.956.9562); Que Será Será (2801 N. State St., 601.981.2520); Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202) Parkway Drive, 601.957.1975).

Best Meal Under $10; Best Sandwich Place: Newk’s Express Café

Multiple Locations, newks.com

Best Meal under $10Second: Basil’s (904 E. Fortifi cation St., Suite B, 601.352.2002; 2906 N. State St., 601.982-2100) / Third: Brent’s Drugs (655 Duling Ave., 601.366.3427) / Good Showing: Cherokee Inn (1410 Old Square Road, 601.362.6388); Keifer’s (710 Poplar Blvd., 601.355.6825; 120 N. Congress St., 601.353.4976); Primos Café (2323 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601.936.3398; 515 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.898.3600)

Best Sandwich PlaceSecond: Broad Street Baking Company (4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 101, 601.362.2900) / Third: Basil’s (904 E. Fortifi cation St., Suite B, 601.352.2002; 2906 N. State St., 601.982.2100) / Good Showing: Beagle Bagel Café (Multiple Locations, thebeaglebagelcafe.net); Jason’s Deli (1067 E. County Line Road, 601.206.9191); McAlister’s Deli (Multiple Locations, mcalistersdeli.com)

Most Innovative Menu: Parlor Market

115 W. Capitol St., 601.360.0090, parlormarket.com

Second: Babalu Tacos and Tapas (622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601.366.5757) / Third: Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202) / Good Showing: Bruno’s Adobo (127 S. Roach St., Suite 1200, 601.944.9501); Julep Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411); Walker’s Drive-In (3016 N. State St., 601.982.2633)601.981.2520)

Best Hangover Food: Cherokee Inn1410 Old Square Road, 601.362.6388

cherokeedriveinn.com

Second: Keifer’s (710 Poplar Blvd., 601.355.6825; 120 N. Congress St., 601.353.4976) / Third: Burgers & Blues (1060 E. County Line Road, Suite 22, Ridgeland, 601.899.0038) / Good Showing: Que Será Será (2801 N. State St., 601.981.2520); Five Guys Burgers & Fries (122 Market St., Flowood, 601.919.1995; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 2001, Ridgeland, 601.605.1115); Pizza Shack (925 E. Fortifi cation St., 601.352.2001;5045 Parkway Drive, 601.957.1975)

Best Pizza: Pizza Shack 925 E. Fortifi cation, 601.352.2001; 5045 Parkway Drive, 601.957.1975,

thepizzashackjackson.com Second: Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint (565 Taylor St., 601.368.1919) / Third: Soulshine Pizza Factory (5352 Highway 25, Suite 1100, Flowood, 601.919.2000; 1111 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite I, Ridgeland, 601.856.8646) / Good Showing: Hungry Howie’s Pizza (7157 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.898.5008; 1060 Spillway Circle, Brandon, 601.706.0418), Mazzio’s Italian Eatery (Multiple Locations, mazzios.com); Mellow Mushroom (275 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood, 601.992.7499)

Best Mexican/Latin: La Cazuela Mexican Grill1401 E. Fortifi cation St., 601.353.3014, garciarestaurants.net/

cazuela.htm Second: El Potrillo Mexican Restaurant (123 Grand View Blvd., Suite H, Madison, 601.605.9320; 100 Laurel Park Drive, Flowood, 601.939.9900; 1390 W. Government St., Suite D, Brandon, 601.591.1314) / Third: Papitos Mexican Grill (111 Colony Crossing, Suite 400, Madison, 601.605.0275) / Good Showing: Babalu Tacos and Tapas (622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601.366.5757); Margaritas Mexican Restaurant(1625 E. County Line Road, 601.957.7672; 737 Clinton Parkway, 601.924.0005); Sombra Mexican Kitchen (140 Township Ave., Suite 100, Ridgeland, 601.707.7950)

Best Steak: Shapley’s Restaurant868 Centre St., Ridgeland, 601.957.3753 shapleysrestaurant.com

Second: Tico’s Steakhouse (1536 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland, 601.956.1030) / Third: Char Restaurant (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 142, 601.956.9562) / Good Showing: Ely’s Restaurant & Bar (115 W. Jackson St., Ridgeland, 601.605.6359); Kathryn’s Steakhouse (6800 Old Canton Road, Suite 108, Ridgeland, 601.956.2803); Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 1000, Ridgeland, 601.853.2734); Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, Flowood, 601.420.4202)

Best Taqueria: Taqueria La Guadalupe6537 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.206.7776 taguadalupe.com

Second: Babalu Tacos and Tapas (622 Duling Ave., Suite 106, 601.366.5757) / Third: Jaco’s Tacos (318 S. State St., 601.961.7001) / Good Showing: Carniceria Valdez(6530 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.899.6992); La Cazuela (1401 E. Fortifi cation St., 601.353.3014); La Morena (6610 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland, 601.899.8821)

Best Veggie Burger: Cool Al’s4654 McWillie Drive, 601.713.3020, coolals.net

Second: High Noon Café (2807 Old Canton Road, 601.366.1513) / Third: Majestic Burger (4943 Old Canton Road, 601.899.8822; 1067 Highland Colony, Parkway, Suite B, Ridgeland, 601.707.0093) / Good Showing: Bruno’s Adobo (127 Roach St., Suite 1200, 601.944.9501); Burgers & Blues (1060 E. County Line Road, Suite 22, Ridgeland, 601.899.0038); Stamps Superburger (1801 Dalton St. 601.352.4555)

Subscribe (free) at jfpdaily.com to get on invitation list for Best of Jackson party in January and other JFP-BOOM throwdowns year-round.

Best Dive Bar; Best Place to Drink Cheap: Martin’s Lounge

214 S. State St., 601.354.9712, martinslounge.net

Best Dive BarSecond: Sam’s Lounge (5035 Interstate 55 N.,601.983.2526) / Third: Cherokee Inn (1410 OldSquare Road, 601.362.6388) / Good Showing: F. Jones Corner (303 N. Farish St., 601.983.1148);Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055); Shucker’s on the Rez (116 Conestoga Road,Ridgeland,601.853.0105)

Best Place to Drink CheapSecond: Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055) / Third: Sam’s Lounge(5035 Interstate 55 N., 601.983.2526) / GoodShowing: Cherokee Inn (1410 Old Square Road,601.362.6388); Club Magoo’s (824 S. State St.,601.487.8710); Time Out Sports Café (6270 OldCantonRoad,601.978.1839)

The real original gangster of the Jack-son bar scene, Martin’s Lounge has been a favorite dive for years. Cheap drinks and a colorful groups of pa-

trons make any night in Martin’s a night to remember—or maybe a night to forget.

Bar owner Joseph Stodghill is commit-ted to adding diverse, quality music acts to the Jackson nightlife scene. “There are too many places in Jackson where you can go hear the same stuff on any Friday and Saturday,” Stodghill says. He and his staff work to book music that spans genre and era. Recent stand-outs include ’90s alternative rock pioneers The Meat Puppets, who were a personal fa-vorite of Nirvana’s lead singer Kurt Cobain and hip-hop group Nappy Roots, famous for the upbeat single “Good Day.” Concerts at Martin’s are just the right mix of a small venue and enthusiastic crowd. Regular Samantha Ledbetter, 23, recalls her

most memorable night there as the night indie band Moon Taxi performed. “It was that you were in a bar seeing someone you love, surrounded by people who love it just as much as you,” Ledbetter says. Those people are a smorgasbord of

Jackson residents. On any given night (or day) you’ll see anything from mid-dle-aged regulars nursing beers at the bar to a group of col-lege students doing shots in the corner. Stodghill even recalls talking to a man who drove Google Earth’s picture-taking van, and one night a few years back, actor George Clooney ap-parently walked into Mar tin’s—though the regulars didn’t know who he was. Throw in gut-

ter punks and nurses getting rowdy off $2 margaritas during Tuesday night karaoke, and you start to get the picture of the person who goes to Martin’s: almost everyone. “You never know who is going to come through the door. For the most part I don’t why, but they’re all pretty original,” Culled says. The magic of the bar is its ability to pull all of these people together for the sake of karaoke music, or a just a steady drink. “It’s like a little community,” Ledbetter says. That community often includes the musical guest themselves. The small space of Martin’s means that you not only have a good chance of meeting the band, but shar-

ing a few drinks with them at the bar. If you don’t know what you’re in for, the place may not look like much. The only working entrance is on the parking lot side of the building, right across from Hal & Mal’s. The smell of cigarette smoke from years past still lingers in the air. As permanent as this smell is the crew of middle-aged men at the bar, who have probably been there since 5 in the afternoon. These regulars caused the bar to be jokingly referred to as Martin’s Adult Day Care by his late father, Calvin. If you go straight back you’ll walk down a brief incline and emerge into a high ceilinged room with a stage on the far wall. The feels like a gritty bar without making you feel like you’ll get a disease from the glasses. Patrons of Martin’s exalt the new reno-vations that Stodghill made to the back room. He inherited the bar when his father passed away last year. Since then, he has renovated the back room, putting in new floors, a new PA and lighting system. He also has ordered new chairs, tables and bar stools. The next phase of renovation is adding more seating and redoing the bathrooms. Stodghill has future plans to ex-pand into the office building next door. “We want to re-do it and clean up some stuff without really changing it be-cause that’s what gives it its character,” Stodghill says. That character is ultimately one of a quintessential dive bar: a local watering hole where people of all walks of life come in, sit down and talk over a couple of beers. With its revolving cast of “day care” members and awesome concerts every week-end, Martin’s is the go-to place for a cheap, good time. “I don’t have any negative memories of that place,” Ledbetter says.

‘Are you going to Martin’s?’//byMoWilson//photosbyTripBurns

A night at Martin’s Lounge is always a dive into the unknown.

60 May-June2013 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com | bestofjackson.com

Nightlife & MusicNightlife & Music2013


BestDiveBar;BestPlacetoDrinkCheap:Martin’sLounge

214 S. State St., 601.354.9712, martinslounge.net

BestDiveBarSecond: Sam’s Lounge (5035 Interstate 55 N.,601.983.2526) / Third: Cherokee Inn (1410 OldSquare Road, 601.362.6388) / Good Showing: F.Jones Corner (303 N. Farish St., 601.983.1148);Fenian’sPub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055); Shucker’s on the Rez (116 Conestoga Road,Ridgeland,601.853.0105)

BestPlacetoDrinkCheapSecond: Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055) / Third: Sam’s Lounge(5035 Interstate 55 N., 601.983.2526) / GoodShowing: Cherokee Inn (1410 Old Square Road,601.362.6388); Club Magoo’s (824 S. State St.,601.487.8710); Time Out Sports Café (6270 OldCantonRoad,601.978.1839)

R&B sensation Kerry Thomas brings fresh flavor to the Jackson music scene. Born in Baton Rouge, La., Thomas came to Jackson to attend Tougaloo College,

where he obtained an economics degree in 2007 before going on to receive a master’s degree from Jackson State University in 2009. Thomas, 28, decided to seriously pursue a music career after stumbling upon his gift of song in church. “I definitely try to stay humble as possible,” he says.

So tell me about Kerry Thomas—not the singer, but the man? Naturally, I’m an intro-vert. I grew up as a pretty shy individual; therefore, I guess the music kind of brought that out of me. But I’m a smart guy, a little nerdy at times. I’m very approach-able. Everybody that knows me knows that I might be too nice, and that’s probably my flaw. But I feel like that’s important. I don’t want to ever feel like I’m de-tached from being a regular person. I love music and it’s always been a part of me, and now more than ever, I really cling to it. It keeps my sanity.

How long have you been into music? What made you want to pursue music as a career? You know, I’d always sing to myself, and I’d sing in the car when I heard my favorite song. Growing up hearing Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross on the radio, I’d sing it to myself. And I didn’t know it actually sounded good until I got the courage to get in front of a crowd and sing in front of people. I actually started seriously do-ing music around 2005 when I was just singing at church.

Any memorable moments that stand out from a performance? (My band and I) were at the Martini Room for First Friday in March. And it’s a funny story.

David Banner, he came to my album release party for my album, “Eye of the Storm,” back in October 2012. … He was a real cool guy, he even took pic-tures of my album and posted on his Instagram. So at First Friday, I saw him again. I went out to get my microphone, and when I came back, he was sitting down playing my guitar. It was crazy.

He’s a real cool guy, though, and he knows a cou-ple chords.

How does it feel to win Best R&B Artist? It’s just overwhelming, all of the positive things I’ve been hearing about what I’ve been do-ing in a relatively short amount of time. I mean, when I can walk in some places, and people know the words to some of my songs, it feels good. I actually tied last year for Best R&B artist with ML. It was my first time in the contest, and I put my-self out there and did a whole big campaign, but this time I really didn’t do that much. So, when I got the news this year, I was so surprised. ... It felt good, man, I felt really good to get this one.

What words do you have for other musicians? Make music because you love it. Make it because it’s in you, because you have a story to tell. I think that’s the most important thing, that we don’t (lose that). In my music, I’m trying to get back to the love. I feel like that’s lacking from R&B—it needs a little bit more love. And long as I can keep singing, I’m definitely going to put as much of it as I can into it.

Get Social with Kerry:Website: KerryThomasMusic.comFacebook: Facebook.com/KerryThomasMusicTwitter: @RealKerryThomasSoundCloud: KerryThomasMusic YouTube: KerryThomas07


BestJukebox:Sam’sLounge5035 Interstate 55 N., 601.983.2526

Second: CS’s (1359-1/2 N. West St., 601.969.9482) / Third: Crechale’s(3107 Highway 80 W., 601.355.1840) / Good Showing: Cherokee Inn (1410 Old Square Road, 601.362.6388); JC’sConstruction(425 N. Mart Plaza, 601.362.3108); Peaches (327 N. Farish St., 601.354.9267)

BestLGBTHangout:BottomsUp3911 Northview Drive, 601.981.2188

Second: JC’s Construction (425 N. Mart Plaza, 601.362.3108) / Third: Dick and Jane’s (206 W. Capitol St., 601.952.1000) / Good Showing: ClubMetroReloaded (4670 Highway 80 W., 601.353.0059); Fenian’sPub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055); Julep Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411)

BestLiveMusicVenue:Hal&Mal’s

200 S. Commerce St., 601.948.0888, halandmals.com

Second: Underground 119 (119 S. President St., 601. 352.2322) / Third: DulingHall (622 Duling Ave., 601.362.8440) / Good Showing: Burgers & Blues (1060 E. County Line Road, Suite 22, Ridgeland, 601.899.0038); Club Magoo’s (824 S. State St., 601.487.8710); ThePenguin(1100 John R. Lynch St., Suite 6A, 769.251.5222)

BestLocalCountryArtist:SkylarLaine

Second: TheColonels / Third: JasonTurner / Good Showing: Crossin’Dixon; JasonMiller;Southof20

BestLocalCoverBand:Diesel255diesel255.com

Second: The Colonels / Third: Southern KomfortBrassBand / Good Showing: ShadzofGrey,JasonTurner,HunterGibson

BestLocalHip-HopArtist:5thChild

5thchildmusic.bandcamp.com Second: Kamikaze / Third: HollywoodLuck / Good Showing: DavidBanner; JayLotto; SkippCoon

BEST OF JACkSON 2013: Nightlife & Music from page 61

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Back to the Love // by Darnell Jackson

BestLocalR&BArtist:KerryThomas

kerrythomasmusic.com Second: AkamiGraham / Third: K.D.Brosia Good Showing: A1 (Alry Williams); LouWriter;PamConfer;Recognition

Kerry Thomas is all about staying humble.


USDAChoice &

Prime BeefParty Trays, Baked Goods, Chips & Dip, Charcoal, Lighter Fluid.

Everything You Need For The Grill!

Shop Localfor all your

Summer Needs (and Wants!)

Maywood Mart 1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-8486

Woodland Hills Shopping Center Fondren 601-366-5273

English Village 904 E. Fortifi cation St. 601-355-9668

Westland Plaza 2526 Robinson Rd. 601-353-0089

Yazoo City 734 E Fifteenth St.662-746-6005

Maywood Mart 601-366-8486

Woodland Hills 601-366-5273

English Village 601-355-9668

Westland Plaza 601-353-0089

Yazoo City

(and Wants!)

BEST BEER SELECTION IN JACKSON!

KEGS from McDade’s24-hour notice required; see store for details.

Pump & Ice Barrels available at additional charge.

Best New Bar: Capitol Grill5050 Interstate 55 N., Suite F,

601.899.8944Second:University Place Sports Bar and Grill(1100John R. Lynch St., Suite 10, 601.487.8059) / Third:The Islander (1220 E. Northside Drive, Suite 100,601.366.5441)/GoodShowing:Da Shak Bar & Grille(4586ClintonBlvd.,601.487.8453);The Penguin(1100JohnR.LynchSt.,Suite6A,769.251.5222);Soul Wired Café(111MillsapsAve.,601.863.6378)

Best Local Jazz Artist: Pam ConferSecond:Swing De Paris/Third:Rhonda Richmond/GoodShowing:Barry Leach;Lisa Palmer;Raphael Semmes

Best Place to Dance: Club Magoo’s824 S. State St., 601.487.8710,

clubmagoos.comSecond: Bottoms Up (3911 Northview Drive,601.981.2188) / Third: Underground 119 (119 S.PresidentSt.,601.352.2322)/GoodShowing:Martin’s Lounge(214S.StateSt.,601.354.9712);Ole Tavern on George Street(416GeorgeSt.,601.960.2700);Salsa Mississippi(605DulingAve.,601.213.6355)

Best Local Rock Artist: Jason Turner

jasonturnerband.com

Second: Storage 24 / Third: The Colonels / GoodShowing:Chad Wesley; Cody Cox; Kid Vicious

Best Original Band (tie): Furrows; Southern Komfort Brass Band

Second: Jason Turner / Third: Storage 24 / GoodShowing:Liver Mousse;The Colonels

Best Place to Shoot Pool: The Green Room

444 Bounds St., 601.713.3444Second: Reed Pierce’s (6791 Siwell Road, Byram,601.376.0777)/Third:Sam’s Lounge(5035Interstate55N.,601.983.2526)/GoodShowing:Cherokee Drive Inn(1410OldSquareRoad,601.362.6388);Last Call Sports Grill (1428 Old Square Road, 601.713.2700);Shucker’s on the Rez (116 Conestoga Road,Ridgeland,601.853.0105)

64 May-June2013 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com | bestofjackson.com

Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055)—also known as 2013’s Best Bar, Best Bar Where Everyone Knows Your

Name, Best Open Mic and Best College Hang-out—is a no-cover Belhaven establishment with distinct Gaelic flavor. As frequent Fenian’s patrons and karaoke color commenters, we sat down with front-of-the-house manager Emily McLarty and dug up a few fun facts about the place that offers its customers at least 100,000 salutations. • BORN: Fenian’s was the only Irish bar in Jackson when it began in 1996.

• A POWERFUL THIRST: Fenian’s has the largest Irish whiskey and Scotch collection in Jackson.

• SEMI-PRO: McLarty says the biggest crowds, by far, come for Monday night karaoke.

• TIME WELL SPENT: Cathy Ambrose has a total of 27 years at the location; she worked for Christo’s, the restaurant that formerly occupied the building.

• ERIN GO BRAGH: Fenian’s is named for the leg-endary warrior-hunter of old Ireland, Finn McCool, who is said to be still sleeping in a cave beneath Dublin, and will rouse to defend Ireland in times of darkness.

• GAELIC GRUB: The most popular items on Feni-an’s menu are shepherd’s pie (a savory casserole of beef and vegetables, topped with mashed pota-toes) and Scotch eggs (hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and deep fried).

• SMARTYPANTS: Fenian’s newest feature (for scholars and fools) is a Wednesday night pub quiz, which will run from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Unknown Fenian’s//byMollyLehmullerandMarkWard

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Best Bar; Best Bar Where Everyone Knows Your

Name; Best Open-Mic Night: Fenian’s Pub

901 E. Fortification St., 601.948.0055, fenianspub.com

Best BarSecond:The Bulldog(6111RidgewoodRoad,601.978.3502)/Third:Ole Tavern on George Street(416GeorgeSt.,601.960.2700)/GoodShowing:Hal & Mal’s(200S.CommerceSt.,601.948.0888); Table 100 (100 Ridge Way,Flowood, 601.420.4202); Underground 119(119S.PresidentSt.,601.352.2322)

Best Bar Where Everyone Knows Your NameSecond: Hal & Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St.,601.948.0888)/Third:Ole Tavern on George Street(416GeorgeSt.,601.960.2700)/GoodShowing: Cherokee Inn (1410 Old SquareRoad, 601.362.6388); Julep Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105,601.362.1411);Martin’s Lounge(214S.StateSt.,601.354.9712)

Best Open-Mic NightSecond: Time Out Sports Café (6270 OldCanton Road, 601.978.1839) / Third: Suite 106 (106 Wilmington St., 601.940.7059)/ Good Showing: Last Call Sports Grill(1428 Old Square Road, 601.713.2700); Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St.,601.960.2700);Soul Wired Café(111MillsapsAve.,601.863.6378)

BESTOFJACkSON2013: Nightlife & Music frompage62

After a long day, a good drink and something to eat while enjoy-ing great company is a beauti-

ful thing. At a decent price, it’s gor-geous. Add in a patio in nice weather, and it may stretch into more than just an hour. Babalu Tacos and Tapas in Fondren has all of these things, and in the spirit of sharing—which goes along with tapas—calls its daily food and drink specials from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. “Social Hour.” During that time, you can sip on a glass of wine for just $5 or signature sangria for $4 and enjoy some popular tacos—the carnitas (pulled pork) and fish of the day are among the most popular—for just $2. As for what to drink during social hour, look to the classic margarita. Maybe it’s the combination of salty and sweet (and sour). May-be it’s that they remind us of warm weather and beaches. Or maybe it’s just the tequila. What-ever the reason, margaritas remain a favorite of the cocktail crowd. At Babalu, you can settle in at the bar to order one that features fresh-

squeezed fruit juices and, if you’d like, choose from among its 19 premium tequi-las. If you want to step outside the traditional, go for the signature Babarita (made with agave nectar and POM juice) or a tamarind margarita (featuring fresh citrus and tamarind extract). Whichever you settle on—or if you try all of them—you’re sure to quench your thirst for a taste of something from south of the border. —Julie Skipper


Best Of JacksOn 2013: Nightlife & Music from page 65

Every good blues guitarist has a story of pain and suffering. For Jarekus Single-ton, it was the heartache of giving up a basketball dream that put

him on the path to become one of the most critically acclaimed blues artists in the state. His debut album, 2011’s “Heartfelt,” makes it abundantly clear that his songs are a menag-erie of his life experiences. Singleton, 28, was born into a family of musicians. His late grandfather was the pas-tor of the True Gospel Church of God and Christ in Jackson and played lead guitar at services. His uncle Tony taught Singleton to play bass at age 9, and his grandfather con-vinced Singleton to pick up the guitar. Music wasn’t Singleton’s first love, how-ever. Going hard in the paint and shooting baskets is where Singleton felt he belonged. With help and a push from his uncle Tim, who Singleton said was good enough to play in the NBA, he excelled at basketball. After high school, Singleton attended the University of Southern Mississippi on a basketball scholarship. His senior year, he transferred to William Carey Universi-ty, where he was named the NAIA conference national player of the year. Singleton broke a few records and managed to lead the nation in scoring. His first year out of college saw him play-ing basketball in Lebanon for the Sporting Feytrouns, but after an explosion went off two blocks from his apartment, he knew it was time to get out of the country.

He then tore the cartilage in his ankle while playing at a camp. After going through rehab and

spending 18 weeks on crutches, he found that his dreams of playing professional ball were over. “I’m the type of guy that doesn’t have a plan

B. I stick to plan A. Plan B is a distraction from plan A. But I was like, ‘Jarekus, it’s time for a plan

B.’ So that’s what I did,” he said. Singleton turned to music and, to this day, he finds it hard to believe he ended up where he is now. “If you had told me in high school or col-lege that I would be doing music for a living 100 percent, I would have looked at you like you were crazy,” he said. “Basketball took up all my time. That’s all I did. I played music when I went to church.” Things are a bit different for Singleton these days. When he’s not answering his phone for interviews, he’s meeting with re-cord labels, on tour or writing music. Singleton has been steadily gaining mo-mentum, and he plans to take full advantage of the good press he’s received. He already has plans to release two albums within eight months of each other: a live album he re-corded at Hal & Mal’s and a studio album he plans to release sometime next winter. He said the newfound attention isn’t about the success of his work but the significance.

“I write the music how it comes to me. People argue about how it sounds like this or that or the other thing. There is a feeling. If you hear something and it feels like the blues, that’s the main point about it,” he said. “I just want to be recognized as a hard-work-ing musician, a person that likes doing things the right way and who took his talent responsibly. That’s how I want to be recognized,” he said.

Jarekus Singleton Plays His Way // by Ross cabell

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BestLocalBluesArtist:JarekusSingleton

second: JesseRobinson / third: KingEdward / Good showing: BobbyRush;JackieBell; ScottAlbertJohnson

BestPlaceforCocktails:JulepRestaurantandBar

4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 105, 601.362.1411, juleprestaurant.com

second: Table 100 (100 Ridge Way, flowood, 601.420.4202) / third: ParlorMarket (115 W. capitol st., 601.360.0900) / Good showing: Babalu TacosandTapas (622 Duling ave., suite 106, 601.366.5757); BRAVO!ItalianRestaurant andBar (4500 interstate 55 n., suite 244, 601.982.8111); Underground119 (119 s. president st., 601.326.2322)

BestPlacetoWatchtheGame:TheBulldog

6111 Ridgewood Road, 601.978.3502, bulldog-jackson.draftfreak.com

second: LastCallSportsGrill (1428 Old square Road, 601.713.2700) / third: AlumniHouseSportsGrill (110 Bass pro Drive, pearl, 601.896.0253) / Good showing: Buffalo Wild Wings (808 Lake Harbour Drive, Ridgeland, 601.856.0789); TimeOutSportsCafé (6270 Old canton Road, 601.978.1839)

BestCollegeStudentHangout(tie):OleTavernonGeorgeStreet;

Fenian’sPubOle Tavern on George Street

(416 George St., 601.960.2700)Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St.,

601.948.0055, fenianspub.com)second: The Bulldog (6111 Ridgewood Road, 601.978.3502) / third: ClubMagoo’s (824 s. state st., 601.487.8710) / Good showing: Cups: An EspressoCafé (Multiple Locations, cupsespressocafe.com); Sneaky Beans (2914 n. state st., 601.487.6349); UniversityPlaceBarandGrill (1100 John R. Lynch st., suite 10, 601.366.5441)

Watch for the 2014 ballot in November at bestofjackson.com


facebook.com/rainbowcoop twitter.com/rainbowcoop

Everything You Need For Summer

Celebrations...

Northeast Jackson’s Largest Showroom

• Free Gift Wrapping • Gift Certificates• Friendly Knowledgeable Staff

• Glasses To Loan • Case Discounts• Quick Chilling Service

available at

Maywood Mart Shopping Center • 1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-5676 • Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

www.mcdadeswineandspirits.com

Always Drink Responsibly

Finally. After a few hours of losing a good sum of money at three-card poker, three 4s flopped in front of me. I looked at the Pair Plus payout

table for the $15 bet I had made: 30-1 for a three of a kind—that’s $450. I had also bet $1 on the Progressive: $90 for a three of a kind. Just like that, I was $540 richer. Excited about my new luck, I rushed over to the roulette table and plopped $10 on black and placed bets on the numbers 30-36. First spin: 35-Black. Second Spin: 33-Black. A few more spins, and I was up another $120. I couldn’t believe my luck. But why stop here? I moved to the craps table and played until 6 in the morning. I left with a net of $879 in my pocket. For high rollers, that’s not much, but for a lowly student celebrating the end of the semester, I was my own celebrity. Lady Luck was with me that night. I’ve had plenty of good times with her and friends at the Ameristar Casino. She’s helped me immensely some nights, like when I won $540 on a $16 bet with a three of a kind in three-card poker. But she’s also abandoned me on others. Successful-ly convincing everyone at the roulette table to

place all their money on red with me only for it to land on black is a quick way to lose friends. The Ameristar Casino, in the historic city of Vicksburg, offers what they call “a premier gambling and entertainment expe-rience.” The Ameristar is disguised as a lavish riverboat anchored in the Mississippi River. At 70,000 square feet, it is the largest casino in the Vicksburg area, with a huge selection of

gaming options, including more than 1,500 slot and video machines and 27 tables with games such as craps, blackjack, three-card poker, rou-lette, and Let it Ride (one of the less popular games, but my personal favorite). The Ameri-star has both the broadest video poker selec-tion and the only live poker room in the area, with 10 tables. Ameristar also offers weekly poker tournaments. Gamblers wanting to take full advantage of their Ameristar experience should join the Am-eristar Star Awards program. Why? Free stuff! I have used monthly offers for free hotel rooms, free table chips and comps for restaurants. The Ameristar also has a partnership with the MGM Company in Las Vegas. Chris Chatham, director of player development at Ameristar, says, “Our members can get offers in the mail, including free hotel stays, and go out to these properties, such as the Bellagio, Aria, and MGM Grand and have a wonderful experience.” In addition to the multitude of gaming op-tions, entertainment is available every Friday and Saturday night at the Bottleneck Blues Bar and the Casino Cabaret. The Bottleneck Blues

A Night with Lady Luck // by Jorge Jiménez

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Only a quick jaunt from Jackson, Ameristar promises a good time whether you win or lose.

68 may - June 2013 // The City’s Business and Lifestyle Magazine boomjackson.com|bestofjackson.com

Beyond JacksonBeyond Jackson2013

BestCasinoforShowssecond: AmeristarCasino (4146 s. Washington st., Vicksburg, 601.638.1000) / third: HardRockHotel&Casino (777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228.374.7625) / Good showing: ImperialPalaceCasinoResortSpa (850 Bayview Ave., Biloxi, 888.946.2847);PearlRiverResort(13550 Highway 16 W., Philadelphia, 601.663.0656)

BestCasinoHotelsecond: AmeristarCasino (4146 s. Washington st., Vicksburg, 601.638.1000) / third: HardRockHotel&Casino (777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228.374.7625) / Good showing: ImperialPalaceCasinoResortSpa (850 Bayview Ave., Biloxi, 888.946.2847); PearlRiverResort(13550 Highway 16 W., Philadelphia, 601.663.0656)

BestCasinoforGaming:Ameristar

Casino4146 S. Washington St.,

Vicksburg, 601.638.1000, ameristar.com/Vicksburg

second: BeauRivage (875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 888.567.6667, 228.386.7111) / third: HardRockHotel&Casino (777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228.374.7625) / Good showing: Pearl RiverResort (13550 Highway 16 W., Philadelphia, 601.663.0656); Riverwalk Casino (1046 Warrenton road, Vicksburg, 601.634.0100)

BestCasinoforShows,BestCasinoHotel:BeauRivageResortandCasino

875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 888.567.6667, 228.386.7111, beaurivage.com


Bar hosts some of the top regional blues art-ists, including top acts from the Memphis In-ternational Blues Series. “We have a partnership with the Vicks-burg Blues Society. We enjoy supporting our local music heritage and providing free enter-tainment for our guests,” Chatham says. The Casino Cabaret hosts a variety of regional acts and top lounge acts from across the country. Located on the fi rst fl oor of the casino, the cabaret plays to the entire gaming fl oor. “No one else in our market provides this level of entertainment,” Chatham says. All that gambling makes a man hungry. During the week, the crowd favorite Heritage Buffet offers traditional southern foods, meat carvings, made-to-order pasta, brick-oven pizza, an extensive salad bar and the infamous chocolate fountain. On the weekend, the buffet expands its selection to include an ever-popular seafood buffet. From my personal experience, you want to make it early for this one—the line after 7 p.m. is unbelievable. If a buffet doesn’t fl oat your boat, check out Bourbon’s BBQ & Steaks. It is a fi ne dining restaurant with different entrée, appetizer and drink specials every weekend, and it offers a fantastic view of the Mississippi River. You can also try out Bella’s Bakery and Café, a grab-and-go restaurant for those guests who wish to spend more time with their slot machines. Ameristar regular and a friend of mine, Michael Mohr, describes his perfect night at the Ameristar: “I love starting off my weekend with the seafood buffet. After that, I spend a couple of hours listening to the blues in the Bottleneck while playing one of the video pok-er machines in there. It’s a great atmosphere.” He can often be found hours later, playing on his favorite slot: Oodles of Poodles. Although I can’t really help you with your bets, I can tell you I’ve always left Ameristar with good memories—even if I also left with a slimmer wallet.

The Annie Laurie Swaim Hearin Memorial Exhibit ion Series

For nearly twenty years, Cups has supported the vibrant and

creative community we call home. The fabric of our neighborhood is

woven with artists, writers, and those who love the art that is

created. We will always be a place for you to find your creative

side in a cup of coffee and a great conversation. It's who we are.

STANDING BESIDE OUR COMMUNITY.STANDING BESIDE YOU.

CUPSESPRESSOCAFE.COMPURCHASE COFFEE ONLINE

Jackson area events updated daily at Jfpevents.com. post your own events or send info to [email protected]

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1 - History Is Lunch, noon, at old capitol Mu-seum (100 s. state st.). Myrlie evers-Williams talks about her late husband, civil rights ac-tivist Medgar evers, on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. bring lunch; coffee and water provided. free; call 601.576.6998.

4 - Cinco de Mayo Mississippi Festival May 4, noon-11 p.m., in downtown Jackson. the festival includes a parade, food, jewelry and crafts for sale, kid’s activities, concerts,

and the crowning of Miss cinco de Mayo. for

ticket info, visit cincodemayo-

mississippi.com.

8-9 - “Menopause: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m., at thalia Mara Hall (255 e. pascagoula st.). the musical parody is about four women sharing their experiences with menopause. $20-$62.50; call 601.981.1847 or 800. 745.3000; menopausethemusical.com.

10 - “Pops III: Pepsi Pops,” 7:30 p.m., at old trace park (post road, ridgeland). the annual event features the Mississippi sym-phony Orchestra and fireworks. Bring a picnic basket for a chance to win a prize. for ticket prices, call 601.960.1565 or visit msorchestra.com.

11 - Stray At Home Art and Music Festival May 11, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., at Amite and con-gress streets. live music, an arts and crafts fair, food, craft beer and a cornhole tourna-ment. performers: leagues, the southern komfort brass band and DJ young venom. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Jackson inner-city gardeners. free; strayathome.com.

16 - Art for the Park, 6:30-9:30 p.m., at fairview inn (734 fairview st.). the biannual event includes a silent auction, music, a cash bar and refreshments. proceeds help support maintaining laurel street park. $40; call 662.418.3916, or 601.503.5762 (auction dona-tions); greaterbelhaven.com.

Magnolia Roller Vixens Roller Derby: “Hook, Line, and Sink Her” June 15, 7 p.m. Wear a sailor or pirate costume to get a picture taken with the team. Doors open at 6 p.m. $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $5 children; email [email protected].

18-19 - FIGMENT Jackson, at Wilson street, Midtown Arts District. the an-nual participatory arts festival includes a street festival May 18 after dark. summer-long installations accepted. free; deadline March 30. jackson.figmentproject.org.

28 - “Hairspray” through June 9, at new stage theatre (1100 carlisle st.). the musical comedy is about a plus-sized teen who finds stardom through a local television show. $28, $22 seniors and students; call 601.948.3533; newstagetheatre.com.

3-4 - DeafFest Mississippi, at Jackson convention complex (105 e. pascagoula st.). keith Wann and Wink perform on Adult night May 3. May 4, enjoy the Deaf Dash 5k at 7:30 a.m., performances at 11 a.m. and artist booths. ticket prices, see deaffestmississippi.com.

4 - Wishmaker’s Ball, 7 p.m., at country club of Jackson (345 st. Andrews Drive). the

kentucky Derby-style gala is a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Mississippi. includes

live and silent auctions, dinner and dancing. $100, $150 couples; call 601.366.9474, ext. 1305; email [email protected]; ms.wish.org.

6 - Take a Tasty Bite Out of Crime, 7 p.m., at Highland village (4500 interstate 55 n.) enjoy food and drink samples, and live music. the event is a fundraiser for local law enforce-ment agencies. $50; call 601.212.0016; tastybiteoutofcrime.com.

1111

MOVED TO JUNE 15


May 28-June 9, 2013

Sign up to SponSor now!SPONSORSHIPS

AVAILABLE:imperial Highness - $5,000

Diva - $2,500goddess - $1,000

Queen - $500princess - $250

Chick/rooster - $50

To become a sponsor call 601.362.6121 ext. 16, or email the chick

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proCEEDS go towArD FigHting SEX trAFFiCKing

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July20

JACKSON AREA EVENTS UPDATED DAILY AT JFPEVENTS.COM. POST YOUR OWN EVENTS OR SEND INFO TO [email protected]

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1 - C Spire Summer Soaker, 10 a.m., at Mississippi

Children’s Museum (2145 Highland Drive) Enjoy, a race, a splash pad,

popsicles, information on sun protection and exhibits. $8, children under 12 months

and members free; call 601.981.5469; mississippichildrens-museum.com.

7-9 - Super ’70s Smash, 8 a.m., at Reunion Golf

and Country Club (150

Greensward Drive, Madison).

Tennis players ages 70 and up

compete. $30 entry fee (includes lunch and

a gift); call 601.605.8784; email [email protected]; mstennis.com. 14 - Art Remix, 7 p.m., at Mississippi Mu-

seum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). Enjoy food, a cash bar, art and music. Blankets and chairs welcome. No outside food or beverages. Free admission, food starts at $5; call 601.960.1515; msmuseumart.org.

2 - Cancer Survivors Day, 1-2:30 p.m., at Old Capitol Inn (226 N State St.). Baptist Cancer Services hosts the annual event that includes a guest speaker and refreshments. Registration required. Free; call 601.948.6262; mbhs.org.

7 - Relay for Life - Jackson, 6 p.m., at Smith-Wills Stadium (1200 Lakeland Drive). The night-long relay race includes a luminaria ceremony and entertainment. Proceeds benefi t the American Cancer Society. $10 reg-istration plus fundraising ($100 minimum to receive a T-shirt), fundraising goal of $1,000 for teams; call 601.622.0581.

10-12 - Medgar Evers 50th Anniversary Commemoration, at multiple Jackson loca-tions. The Evers Institute hosts a series of events to recognize the 50th anniversary of Evers’ assassination. Activities include a civil-rights tour, a fi lm festival, a youth congress, a memorial service, a chairman’s reception and a tribute gala. Sponsorships start at $500, $100 for tribute gala only; call 662.915.1644 or 800-599-0650; eversinstitute.org.

21-30 - “Steel Magnolias,” at Actor’s Playhouse (121 Paul Truitt Lane, Pearl). The Robert Harling play is about six Loui-siana women. $15, $10 seniors and students; call 601.664.0930; actorsplay-house.net.

4 - “Shearwater: The Christopher and Kristen Hogan Collection” through Nov. 23, at Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art (386 Beach Blvd., Biloxi). Free opening reception June 28 from 5-7 p.m. $10, $8 seniors, $5 ages 6-17, children 5 and under free; call 228.374.5547; georgeohr.org.

13-16 - “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” at Madison Square Center for the Arts (2103 Main St., Madison). An ex-con barber seeks revenge on the judge who sentenced him. Shows are June 13-15 at 7:30 p.m. and June 16 at 2:30 p.m. $15, $12 seniors and students; call 601.953.0181.

29 - Capital City Roller Girls Roller Derby Game,

6:30 p.m., at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.).

The team takes on the NSRD Lethal Ladies. $12, children under 12 free, $50 vendors; call 601.383.4885; fi nd Capital City Roller Girls on Facebook.

3-4 - “The Addams Family,” 7:30 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The musical is based on Charles Addams’ classic comic strip. $20-$62.50; call 601.981.1847 or 800.745.3000; kesslerbroadway.com.

20 - Mississippi Main Street Association Awards Luncheon, 10:30-11:30 a.m., at Old Capitol Inn (226 N State St.). The high-light of the 124th annual event is the scholarship auction and showcase that features items from MMSA members. Tables of eight available. $40; email [email protected].

20


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MY LOCAL LIST

1. Broad Street Bakery (4465 N. Highway 55, Suite 101, 601.362.2900). It’s the perfect place to have a really good breakfast and early morning meetings (actually, meetings at any time of the day). Great service! The Wi-Fi also means you can actually get some work done, if you aren’t too busy “meeting” or socializing.

2. Campbell’s Bakery (3013 N. State St., 601.362.4628). Campbell’s has sweet treats galore—wonderful cookies and birthday cakes.

3. King Edward Hotel (235 W. Capitol St., 601.353.5464). OK, what can I say but that it’s a great place for events, parties, and meeting friends and business associates at the bar or at lunch. (And a great place to send your overnight guests.)

4. Brent’s Drugs (655 Duling Ave., 601.366.3427).Brent’s is my favorite place for Saturday lunch with grandchildren or just an after-school chocolate shake.

5. Nick’s (3000 Old Canton Road, 601.981.8017). The Sunday brunch is excellent—especially the delicious Monte Cristo sandwich. The unlimited bloody Mary bar is also conducive to Sunday afternoon naps!

6. Latitudes (1491 Canton Mart Road, 601.957.0738). This is the place to shop in a casual, fun atmosphere. Rick, Clifton and Amy are the best, without question.


10

7. Fischer Galleries (3100 N. State St., 601.366.8833). I enjoy the beautiful art on display, and gallery owner Marcy Nessel’s passion for promoting artists is inspiring.

8. Mississippi Museum of Art and the Art Garden (380 S. Lamar St., 601.960.1515). I really like the museum exhibits, and there is no place better than the Art Garden to relax and enjoy the beautiful art.

9. LeFleur’s Bluff State Park (601.987.3923). I love taking the

grandchildren for picnics and fun on the new playground (it’s awesome, even for old

folks like me). We usually follow that with a trip to the Museum of Natural Science or the Children’s Museum, and sometimes even a trip across the highway to the Agriculture Museum, which is one of my granddaughter’s favorites.

10. Carroll’s Nursery (1155 Forest Ave., 601.981.1244). Spring and summer always makes us think of Carroll’s and the beautiful blooming plants and shrubs they have.

11. St. James Episcopal Church 3921 Oak Ridge Drive, 601.982.4880). This is just my favorite place to be. St. James has been there for me at times of great joy and at times of great sadness.

VividVisions

11// photos by Trip Burns

Developer David Watkins took home the ti tle of Best Visionary for his work redeveloping Jackson. So what are

his favorite spots around the city?

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