DFT goes to the Mississippi Delta!

March is a great time to visit the Southeast; the flowers are already starting to bloom, and the temperatures/humidity are nowhere near oppressive yet (by May, in this Yankee's opinion, it's best to steer clear of the Mason-Dixon line if you care at all about physical comfort). It's a great place for lovers of blues and its history, Southern Gothic novelists, Roman(ish) columns on EVERYTHING, and of course, barbecue. I went last week on a short master class tour and a visit to the inaugural Music by Women Festival at Mississippi University for Women (a unique experience in itself), and here's what I can recommend:

Cleveland, MS: Home of Delta State University (go Fightin' Okra!) and a (though not the) Grammy Museum. The tiny downtown is adorbs and can be walked in about 10 minutes. 

Mississippi Grounds
219 S. Court Street
(662) 545– 4528
Coffee House with great breakfast burritos and a killer cappucino

Mosquito Burrito
301 Cotton Row
(662) 843-4822
www.mosquitoburritoms.com
Fresh-Mexi Cuisine for the hipster student crowd

Hey Joe's Cafe & Record Shop
118 E. Sunflower Rd, Suite C
(662) 843-5425
www.eatheyjoes.com
I didn't try the gourmet burgers, but the local craft beer menu was impressive.

Starkville, MS: Home of Mississippi State University and a bigger downtown.  They host a film festival March 2-4 (or thereabouts) every year and a restaurant week charity event in mid-April. This place is pretty hoppin', actually. 

Nine-twentynine Coffee Bar
VISIT WEBSITE
106 E. Main Street
Starkville, MS 39759
(662) 268-8014

Not only beautiful inside, they will make coffee however you can imagine for it to be made.  The pour-over was divine.

UMI Japanese Cuisine
VISIT WEBSITE
315 Highway 12 W
Starkville, MS 39759
(662) 323-5258

Two tasty rolls for $6.95 for lunch? Yes please.

Lost Pizza Company
VISIT WEBSITE
325 Highway 12 W
Starkville, MS 39759
(662) 324-0050

Chewy crust and a plethora of toppings, this is a local favorite with several locations across northern MS.

The Little Dooey
VISIT WEBSITE
100 Fellowship Street
Starkville, MS 39759
(662) 323-6094

If you want a proper plate lunch, this is the real deal.  Suggested by a local, I do not regret the gut-busting plate of spicy pork, potato salad, and turnip greens that kept me full for over 24 hours (see below).

Harvey's
VISIT WEBSITE
406 Hwy 12 East
Starkville, MS 39759
(662) 323-1639

Upscale local chain (there's one in Columbus, below, too). Known for the broccoli bites, which as far as I can tell are delicious blobs of broccoli smothered in cheese sauce, battered into balls and deep fried.  And the bartender makes a mean Old Fashioned. 

Oxford, MS: I was there to visit the flute studio at Ole Miss, but of course couldn't resist driving by Faulkner's house (disappointingly surrounded by gas stations and other modern crap on the edge of campus, but still...). This is the center of intellectual and artistic activity in northern Mississippi, and it shows.  Oh, and the campus is ridiculously beautiful (below).

Burns-Belfry museum about African American history:
710 Jackson Ave. East
Oxford, MS 38655
Sunday 1:00 to 4:00 and Wednesday through Friday 12:00 to 3:00
Admission is free

Civil Rights Monument on campus:
University Circle,
University of Mississippi,
University, MS 38677

I did more wandering than eating here, but the local chain deli Newk's on campus was actually super delish.  The Square is also a great downtown area for shopping and eating, it would seem, but alas, I had to hurry back to a rehearsal in...

Columbus, MS: Birthplace of Tennessee Williams and home of Mississippi University for Women, now a coed school that prefers to be known as The W. Also an insanely beautiful campus, this one has a certain kind of private school opulence you can only find in the good old South (I think).

There's another Harvey's at 200 Main Street, I can tell you now that the Cajun Pasta (very much like Crawfish Monica) was fantastic.  Still liked the Old Fashioneds here, too. 

Mississippi State Committee of the National Museum for Women in the Arts Exhibition. Visit www.muw.edu/as/art/gallery for information on this and other W exhibits.
Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm. The exhibits are free and open to the public.
1100 College Street MUW-70 

(662) 329-7291

Here's an handy Interactive map:http://visitcolumbusms.org/index.php/interactive_map#top

Other restaurants recommended to me by locals, but which I did not get to try, include

Huck's Place

121 S 5th St
Columbus, MS 39701Phone number(662) 327-6500
Cajun/Creole: great fried green tomatoes

Jackson Square Grill
1927 U.S. 45
Columbus, MS 39701(662) 328-8656

Big on seafood and with a great brunch

Hana Korean Restaurant and Market

4226 Mississippi 373
Columbus, MS 39705

(662) 434-8881

Cheap and comforting stone pots and curries.

Cocktails for these Political Times: Mississippi Edition

I'm in Mississippi this week (stop by if you're in Starkville, Oxford, or Columbus!) giving some concerts and master classes across the Northern expanse of the state, and I'm enjoying learning about local political woes here (well, enjoy might be the wrong word).  Like Coloradans, they had to just go ahead and have a town hall meeting last weekend without their Representative, Steve Palazzo.  But the ugly bill to kill funding for the Mississippi Arts Commission has been killed (yay), and if you're in the area, you can join the good people of this state at the March 4 March on Mississippi to end voter suppression AND their Women's March for Progress April 22. Like so many places these days, it seems the citizenry is far superior to their elected representatives. You guys deserve some punch!

Mississippi Riverboat Milk Punch

Serves between 1 & 6

6 cups any kind of milk you want
1-1/2 cups bourbon
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

In a pitcher, whisk together milk, bourbon, sugar, and vanilla. Freeze until slushy, 3 to 4 hours. Stir before serving in glasses, finished with a few gratings of fresh nutmeg.

(Urgent PS--you know that little victory for the arts Mississippi just enjoyed? It's meaningless if the NEA, which funds large portions of each state's arts budget, is done away with.  You can sign this fun and easy petition to help see that it isn't!)

What I ate on the Gulf last week

I went to University of Southern Mississippi last week to teach and perform in my role as an Altus Performing Artist, so of course, I ate my way from the airport in New Orleans all the way to Hattiesburg.  It was a short trip, but I'm pretty sure I still managed to gain a few pounds, mainly in butter.

In Hattiesburg

Crescent City: Cute family restaurant down the street from USM. I had crawfish Monica and a sad glass of water because I had to play that night.  The food was super good.

Branch: Chi-chi small plates and cocktail place.  I ate smoked wings, fried broccoli (no breading, just a bit seared and black on the ends) with lemon-yogurt sauce, mussels and fries, and deviled eggs with Sriracha, bacon, crab and avocado. The cocktails looked lovely, but I stuck to a glass of Chardonnay as I considered my 6:30am departure time for the airport the next morning.



In New Orleans

Jacques-Imo's: I think this is officially in the East Carrollton neighborhood, spitting distance from Tulane University. This place was utter chaos--I had to scream like I was at a Prince (who died the day of my recital, which is what I'm blaming the poor attendance on) concert. We split an app of friend calamari, then I had the daily special of blackened snapper on top of a bed of spicy mussels, crawfish, and shrimp with my choice of sides, a red cabbage with sausage braised in butter and perfectly seasoned red beans.  I think there might have also been a salad, but I blacked out at one point. Oh yes, the house white wine was delish and cheap.

Rue De La Course: Right down the street from Jacques-Imo's. It's in a big old bank building, playing classical music, of all things, and catering to the hipster Tulane set (I say this with affection). I ate Almond cream cake and had a smooth, smooth latte.