If this year’s Best of Jackson picks are any indication, Jacksonians are never afraid to expand their palates when the moment calls for it, but they certainly can have their tried-and-true fan favorites, too. Of this year’s 33 pre-existing categories, nearly two-thirds of the winners successfully defended a title from 2021 Best of Jackson, with some restaurants’ winning streaks stretching even further back. Longtime contender Mama Hamil’s Southern Soul Food took its usual nods for “Best Fried Chicken” and “Best Soul Food” back to its massive homefront in Madison, and Babalu’s margarita select ..read more

Jack Frost promises to stop nipping at our noses by this weekend, with forecasts currently showing warmer weather through the end of the year. For those wanting to take advantage of the weather to safely venture out and check out what the metro has to offer this holiday season, the Jackson Free Press has assembled a sampling of food and event news tips to browse. Read below, and happy holidays. The Strawberry Cafe (107 Depot Drive, Madison; 601-856-3822) The Strawberry Cafe's catering menu serves four to six people and includes items such as chicken or shrimp alfredo, pasta creole, shrimp and ..read more

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Department of Human Services officials say inaccurate data provided by school districts is leading to delays in families receiving pandemic food cards. Meanwhile, families say they are waiting hours on hold when they to reach out to Mississippi Pandemic EBT Hotline for assistance. The rollout of the cards, meant to provide assistance to families of children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school and missed out on the benefits because of the pandemic, has been hampered by challenges. About 345,000 Mississippi children were set to receive a benef ..read more

The Center for Art & Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art recently announced the release of two new publications made through support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The publications are titled "CAPE Toolkit" and "Compassion, Art, People and Equity: The Story of the Center for Art and Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art." CAPE Managing Director Monique Davis created CAPE Toolkit, which is a digital publication that offers a model intended to guide institutional transformation by investigating equity, transparency and truth in a community, a release from CAPE say ..read more

Crisp, cool air has drifted through the metro this week, reminding us that Mississippi can indeed experience the autumn season after all. A wonderful way to heat yourself when the temperature outside drops is to sit down at the dining table and enjoy spoonful after spoonful of warm soup. Rashanna Newsome, sous chef at The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen, has shared the fall chili recipe she used to win the Pro-Bowl Chili Cookoff, a fundraiser that Pelican Cove hosted to benefit the Magnolia Speech School. Ingredients: • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 pound ground lamb • 1 pound ground beef • 1 white ..read more

After years of working in the food industry, Ridgeland resident Wendell Brewster decided “it was time to invest in myself” and opened a food truck in April of this year. Just a handful of months later, Brewster expanded his business, Jerk City Grille, by establishing a physical restaurant on Robinson Road in Jackson. Growing up and spending much of his life in Augusta, Ga., Wendell moved to Mississippi in 2013 and joined Thompson Hospitality, a company that specializes in providing food service to HBCUs. In fact, Brewster served as executive chef for Mississippi Valley State University for th ..read more

A James Beard-nominated chef, Alex Eaton owns both The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen in the Belhaven neighborhood and Aplos Simple Mediterannean at the Highland Village Shopping Center. With a month and change left in the summer, Chef Eaton has provided the Jackson Free Press with a summer salad recipe to share with its readership. Salad Ingredients • 4 ounces chopped romaine • 2 ounces diced heirloom cherry tomatoes • 1 diced avocado (large cubes) • 1 ounce red onion • a drizzle of pomegranate molasses (available at Aladdin Grocery in Jackson) • pinch of sumac • 1 ounce feta cheese • 4 pita chi ..read more

Beer connoisseurs know that little helps beat the Mississippi summer heat better than sipping a cold brew. Fortunately, the Magnolia State harbors more than a dozen locally owned breweries that supply Mississippians and travelers alike with a variety of stouts, sours and everything in-between. 1. Bicentennial Beer Company/LD’s BeerRun (5006 Parkway Drive, Suite B, Jackson; 769-208-8686; bicentennialbeer.com) As a Beer Judge Certified Professional, Chris Edwards has consistently brewed beer for 13 years. Since early 2020, Edwards’ Bicentennial Beer Company has supplied LD’s BeerRun with its cr ..read more

“Fit to Eat,” an original program created by Mississippi Public Broadcasting, is now officially part of the Create® TV channel’s lineup, airing nationwide on Mondays at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. The show started in 2012 to help combat the state’s obesity and health problems at a time when 68.6% of Mississippians were overweight or obese. Chef Rob Stinson, a Gulf Coast restaurateur, has hosted the program since it began and over the last 10 years, “Fit to Eat” has really hit its stride. Each half-hour episode offers a balanced menu of a starch, meat and vegetable and as St ..read more

For a number of Jacksonians, the new year motivated them to make some changes in 2021, namely in the local food industry. Since January, the metro has welcomed new restaurants presenting foodstuffs from varying culinary backgrounds. Now that 2021 is halfway over, let’s take a look at some of the selections now available to our food scene. Dogmud Tavern Opens in Ridgeland Jesse Labbé and Rick Moore, co-founders of local creative studio and board-game developer Certifiable Studios, opened a sister business called Dogmud Tavern in Ridgeland in April. Dogmud Tavern’s interior features decorative ..read more