In Mississippi, a hub of Southern culture, food tends to be good for the soul but not necessarily good for the body. Oxford is no exception, but as the city continues to grow, the food scene in town is evolving and many new establishments rely significantly on the idea of fresh food with a local atmosphere. Recently, what has been termed “the local food movement” has become more popular on a national scale. The local food movement grows out of the desire to know from whence one’s food comes. The movement encourages a person to become more personal with his or her food in terms of knowing who grows it and how it gets to them.
The concept of “farm to table” is often appealing because local farmers may not use as many chemicals as commercial farming corporations who have to use more chemicals to keep food fresh during transport. People also like the idea of supporting local farmers and businesses to give back to their own community.
“I love to buy and eat locally,” Shelby Pack, senior English major, said. “Not only is it healthier and usually cheaper, I am helping my community. I know where my money is going, and I know it’s going to benefit (both) me and my community.”
According to Jeffery Peavy with the Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Network, 85 percent of the food grown in Mississippi is exported, whereas 90 percent of the food that the state buys is produced outside of Mississippi. Some local restaurants, particularly newer ones, are doing their best to contradict those numbers by sourcing food locally— finding places to get produce, protein, etc. in or as close to Oxford as possible.
Two customers chat during a late afternoon lunch at Oxford Canteen which is tucked away in the alley between the Lyric and South Depot Taco Shop. (Photo by: Royce Swayze)
Wilson Hood, co-owner of neighboring restaurants South Depot Taco Shop, which opened in 2011, and Greenline, a new salad and wrap restaurant, believes the “health trend,” or the desire people have to eat food that is on the fresher side, will only continue to grow. Hood said sourcing locally is important for both of the restaurants not only because of the support for local farmers and the community, but also to provide people with the freshest food that they can find.
“We spent a lot of time with food brokers and folks who have kind of done this before to try to figure out how to get the best possible ingredients,” Hood said. “We try to source from Mississippi and Tennessee as best we can.”
Corbin Evans, the owner and chef of Oxford Canteen, said it is not the number of restaurants in Oxford that matters but the quality of food those restaurants offer. Evans buys as many local products as is cost effective, often altering the menu depending on what is available or in season.
“You get bored and you try to do something a little different, or something based on what’s available, or what you know is going to be available and work with that,” Evans said.
Operating this way gives Evans the chance to play with his menu often and go for foods that may seem a little exotic at first, like bacon jam and kale pesto, but combine with other flavors to make each dish unique. He even changes his menu based on what he has left over from a certain dish that he needs to use. Evans is able to make something original out of different components of many menu items.
“My sister says I’m the only person she knows who can walk in, look in someone’s refrigerator and see dinner from leftovers and condiments and things,” Evans said. “You don’t ever want to throw anything away if you can get one more use out of it.”
Evans sources several menu items locally, including produce, hot dogs and chicken.
Many new local restaurants in Oxford are actively avoiding serving pre-packaged food that requires little preparation aside from heating it up and slapping it on a plate. Instead, owners and chefs are focusing on “fresh,” which is not always synonymous with local or healthy, but the ideas overlap. One problem that restaurant owners run into, however, is local food being too expensive. In reality, it is less expensive and more reliable to source food from afar.
Jake Sessums, owner of YoknapaTaco, said buying local is not always feasible, but providing fresh food is a priority. There is something appealing about tasting food that is light, fresh and flavorful that people find attractive. While the food might not necessarily be local, it is fresh.
YoknapaTaco, one of newest additions to the Oxford food scene, also happens to be the most different. The Mexican food truck is becoming an Oxford favorite. With the location changing depending on the time, YoknapaTaco can be found parked at Oxford in Bloom offering breakfast tacos in the morning and a variety of different tacos at lunch. Sessums caters to the late night crowd at Jones at Home from around 11 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Even more locally centered than the menu and experience of YoknapaTaco is the name, which is a play on the fictitious county of Yoknapatawpha where many of William Faulkner’s stories take place. Yoknapatawpha, based on Oxford is frequently recognized and cherished by the Oxford community.
“We wanted (the name) to be something that tied into Oxford. We want this to be a local Oxford truck,” Sessums said. “There are two ways to look at the name and the way it works. One is that people get it and understand the literary reference. They think it’s clever. For people who don’t get it, it allows us to have a dialogue, to talk it out and explain it.”
It doesn’t seem like there is any sign of this local food trend coming to an end. New establishments are taking on these same ideas of focusing on fresh food in a local atmosphere.
Shelter is set to open this fall in the space below Neilson’s department store on Van Buren Ave., a historic landmark in Oxford. Lee Bowie, owner of Cups, said the name came from a combination of things, including how the space was used for a storm shelter in previous years. He wanted the venue to be a place of refuge for customers. Shelter will feature craft beers from Mississippi and surrounding areas as well as local art and a space for live music.
By emphasizing freshness and locality through food, these restaurant owners are keeping up with national trends while inspiring people to support their community.
