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ANTHONY’S
STILL THE PLACE FOR DINING IN WEST POINT By Donna Summerall
Ray Hamilton is not only the owner, he also cooks steaks to perfection on the grill. Anthony’s is one of the few establishments to allow customers to brown bag a bottle of wine or liquor.
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Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Roll.
Grilled Cheese sandwiches come in a variety.
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Cotton District’s HOT SPOTS Local institutions offer range of delicacies
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Stromboli’s Buffalo Sauce Recipe • Frank’s Hot Sauce • Garlic Butter In 1999, a young couple rented the building now known as Stromboli’s. When they started the pizza shop it had a piece of plywood out front with the name “Stromboli’s” on it. In 2001 they decided to leave the business to move on, the owner of the building was looking for a new renter. “I had an idea and a thought that I always wanted to operate a small restaurant and guide it towards baby boomers which pushes the market,” said Tim Turman.
Stromboli’s can seat 32 guests inside and 50 guests outside. Stromboli’s has no plans of physical expansion, “it’s a hole in the wall; and there is few and far between,” Turman said. “If I were to expand, I’d have to change every single thing about my restaurant.” Turman believes Stromboli’s continues to grow without expanding. Though it would seem Stromboli’s would be busier in the fall due to football season then they do in the spring, they generate as much income in the fall and spring. The location, food, and atmosphere are what Turman believes sets Stromboli’s apart from its competitors. “It’s just a combination of everything we do together that makes us separate, that’s our niche that and the hole in the wall part.” Said Turman. Turman suggest trying Stromboli’s original Stromboli, hot chick calzone, chicken ranchero calzone.
Turman went into Stromboli’s, bought a Stromboli and pepperoni pizza and took it home to try it. He tasted the food and liked the dough, but believed the sauce was lacking something and decided he could find what it was missing. He had a friend help him make his own blend of spices to add to the sauce he now uses in everything he makes; he wanted a seasoning that he knew southerners and others from around the world would enjoy. A Mississippi State University alum, Turman knew he wanted to have a restaurant in Starkville. Knowing this, Turman bought the couple out in August 2001 to take over in November 2001. Then 9/11 happened and Stromboli’s business struggled for around three years. During the time of struggle Turman decided to make Stromboli’s a takeout-only restaurant until 2003. In October 2003, after Truman discovered concrete and decided to put in an outdoor of patio, he stopped delivering, opening up the patio seating area. Turman was buying tables when he could while living off of his wife’s teaching salary. “It was about three long hard years just keeping your nose to the grind stone,” Turman said. “I hired one person to start with and worked them for a little while.” The kitchen was originally set up so that Turman could run the restaurant by himself. Now Turman has 14 part-time employees and one full-time employee to help him run the 1,000-squarefoot restaurant. FEBRUARY 2019 • 21
Commodore Bob’s Yacht Club Sazerac • 2oz Rye Whiskey • ½ oz Simple Syrup • 4 Dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters • 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitter’s • Stirred • Glass rinsed with absinthe • Garnished with a lemon peel Commodore Bob’s Yacht Club opened March 24, 2014, by Dan Camp. A year and a half later, Brady Hindman decided he wanted to take on more responsibility and purchased the restaurant from Camp. “I’m originally from West Point so (Starkville) is pretty close to my home town,” Hindman said. “This is where I kind of grew up, this is where I would go out when I was a kid. I wanted to kind of get a bigger city vibe but still get the small town feel.” Commodore Bob’s Yacht Club is a 682-squarefoot restaurant in the Cotton District that can seat 36 guests inside and 12 guests outside, with eight employees. 22 • TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
Hindman said he would love to expand in the future, but it would depend on the parking availability, which is a problem he believes the restaurant is currently facing. “A lot of the clients we actually go after don’t want to park and walk to a place,” he said. “Whenever they go out of town they’re expecting to walk or Uber to a place but when they’re in their hometown they want to be able to pull up to the door.” Quality service, and creativity is what sets the restaurant apart from competitors, Hindman said. “Starkville really didn’t have a place that does what we do with fresh sea food, fresh cuts of exotic beef, lamb, you name it,” he said.
The Camphouse The Camphouse was open March 2015, with the inspiration behind it “To create a local place, for local people. To have another good local restaurant,” according to the owner, John Peeples. When deciding where to have a restaurant, Peeples easily decided on Starkville because it was where he was born and raised and where he raised his children. The Camphouse has 11 employees and can seat 56 guests. The Camphouse has no plans for expansion but believe that they will continually expand and grow their menu. The restaurant changes its main menu around every six months and its chalkboard menu located in the front of the restaurant every week. Weekends are the busiest for The Camphouse, yet throughout the week they still have a constant flow of clientele.
Peeples doesn’t like to think of the other restaurants in town. “If you’re putting out a good product and you’re a solid business people are going to come eat there. We want people to come to Starkville not just The Camphouse,” Peeples said. “We’re real casual, our little slogan we tell people is ‘we’re top shelf food, but we’re dog and flip flop people. We’re one of the only restaurants that has that gated fenced in porch and on nice days it’s a place where people can bring their well-behaved pets and I think people kind of enjoy that.” When trying to make themselves stand out, The Camphouse looks at menus and tries to come up with their own dishes and keeping their menu different. Build your own mac and cheese is an item off the menu The Camphouse considers a signature item. FEBRUARY 2019 • 23
Starkville’s Culinary Star
Teen chef talks development, celeb status, and family By RYAN PHILLIPS
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On first impression, Mark Coblentz is a seemingly normal 15-year-old high school student. But outside of football practice and taking advanced placement classes at Starkville High School, Mark is easily one of the biggest celebrities in his hometown. Chef Mark, as he is called by many, already has made a name for himself in the kitchen and begun building a popular culinary brand, appearing everywhere from worldwide television programs to the local community market. The youngest son of Robbie and Bonnie Coblentz, Mark has appeared on shows such as “Chopped Jr.,” “MasterChef Jr.,” and “Wonderama,” in addition to hosting his own show on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, “Making a Chef.” He competed on “Chopped Jr.” when he was 12 years old — which he cites as his most important accomplishment — and finished in the final round, just short of winning the whole thing. “Looking back, I couldn’t cook at all so getting on (Chopped Jr.) and getting to the final round of that,” he said. “I’ve watched it once or twice again but I’ve surprised myself.” Wearing his practically-trademarked backwards ball cap, Mark credited his success to supportive parents and patient mentors, all willing to add their own unique insight and encouragement as he developed as a chef. “Any time my Dad wants to make something, he usually runs it through me,” Mark said with a laugh when asked who does the cooking at the Coblentz home. “My Mom usually does her own work.” Being a celebrity can be taxing, but Mark said he enjoys the interaction he has with fans and supportive locals, alike.
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“It’s definitely fun and interesting, it doesn’t really bother me I enjoy meeting new people,” he said. “I’ve been to a lot of different places I probably wouldn’t have gone because of cooking.” The popularity wouldn’t be possible, though, if it were not for those along the way who inspired the young culinary master. From celebrity chef Alton Brown on television to personal instruction from Chef Ty Thames of Restaurant Tyler in Starkville, Mark has used his myriad experiences to learn more about both the interworking of a professional kitchen and the challenges with the business side of the restaurant industry. Mark said his biggest inspiration, though, came in the form of his best friend’s grandmother, Vicki Leach, a culinary instructor at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. Before competing, Mark took classes with Leach, which he credited with giving him both inspiration and reminding him of things he may have forgotten. “Working with some of the professional chefs, the business side of things influenced me so that I’ve 26 • TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
thought about getting a business degree when I go to college,” he said. Television chefs have played a major role in how Chef Mark approaches both his craft and his public image, as he cultivates a brand that is both informed and unique. He then said when he may get into a cooking rut, where his interest isn’t conducive with productivity, he will turn to those old masters on classic cooking shows such as “Dinners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and “Iron Chef.” “Alton Brown, that’s what got me into cooking was watching ‘Good Eats’ with his Dad,” Mark said. “I’ve seen every episode twice. I’ve learned so much from him and it really inspired me to cook.” Food and time in the kitchen may be an important part of Mark’s day-to-day life, but is far from the central focus, as school, sports, friends and being a teenager also are worked into his busy schedule. Mark is a long snapper on the Starkville High football team and much of his time outside of the kitchen and classroom is spent in the weight room and on the practice field.
“My interest outside of cooking involve homework,” Mark laughed. “I’ve taken some larger classes in high school, AP European history, but I just do simple stuff like hang out with friends. Sometimes it’s nice just to talk to friends.” This is where the biggest challenge facing the young celebrity chef comes in — scheduling. His father, though, praised the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District for working with Mark and his culinary career, which has taken him on the road for as long as six weeks at a time. So with a busy school and football schedule, production of his own show and his other community projects, Coblentz is busier than the average teenager. “The public school system has been great with Mark any time he needs to get out,” Robbie Coblentz said. “They know he’s going to do his work. When you have a public school kid doing stuff like that, it makes a big difference.” While Mark’s mother Bonnie traveled with him more to start his career, Robbie also tagged along on his celebrity son’s culinary odyssey and gave a story of when he knew his son had finally hit the big time. FEBRUARY 2019 • 27
“We were in New York shooting ‘Wonderama,’ early August, we’re walking back from dinner to the hotel about 9-9:30 at night in the middle of Time Square and he gets recognized, name checked and ask for a selfie,” Robbie said. “It wasn’t that big of a deal,” Mark interjected as his Dad recalled the story. “Well, it was a big deal to me,” his father responded with pride, which was met with a stereotypical teenage roll of the eyes. Robbie supervises all of the content for Mark’s show with his company Broadcast Media Group, which has a test kitchen and studio space in Starkville where “Making a Chef” is produced. Mark credited his parents with being instrumental in his career, while also provided encouragement and free labor. “Working with my family has been both a blessing and a curse,” Mark said. “One, they understand me a lot more but other times, I might think I’m right but I have to listen to him because he’s my Dad. My Mom has helped me a lot, selling crepes at the farmer’s market, I try to pay her as much as I can but she takes so little.” Looking ahead to the future, Mark hopes to break into the restaurant business for himself, while still being a talented chef and ambassador for his hometown.
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“My future plans in my career would hopefully involve a couple different restaurants,” Mark said. “I would definitely want to have that, spread out over a couple different states with different restaurants for different regions. Experiment with different foods and make it a destination.”
Starkville shines as foodie destination
By Jay Reed Local Food Columnist FEBRUARY 2019 • 29
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I’ve always considered myself a Starkville native. I was a proud Texan for the first few weeks of my life, I admit. But even when I moved a couple of hours away for school, then a day’s drive for a job, then a day’s flight for all sorts of adventures, “home” was most definitely Starkville. During the time I was away, coming home almost always involved a few set stops - all at restaurants, of course. Oby’s, usually on the way home from the airport. Little Dooey was next on the list. If I was meeting high school buddies, we might land at Bulldog Deli (R.I.P.) I didn’t realize it at the time, but my current enthusiasm for all things edible, and in particular for eating local, was being groomed. For about twenty years, Starkville was not my place of residence - North Carolina got that tax money. But in 2009, when it was time to come back across the ocean, home we came. By that time I was a full-on food enthusiast, and a year later, after some minor, friendly stalking of the Lifestyles editor, the Starkville Daily News made me a legit food writer. Who knew then that there would be so much to write about? Who knew that we would shortly become a food destination? But we are. If you weren’t aware of that, I’d be honored to be your tour guide. Buckle your seat belts, but keep them loose. Skip the free pretzels and Biscoff cookies. We have a lot to eat. When I left, the Eat With Us group was Bulldog Deli and Harvey’s. I’m not even sure it was a group then. Today we have Pepper’s (born of Bulldog Deli) and Bulldog Burger (into which the Deli morphed.) And let’s not forget Central Station Grill, which now occupies one of the most historic food sites in the county, the old Borden plant. Back then, there was no Eat Local Starkville. Restaurant Tyler may still have been Kleban’s Shoe Store. When we returned, BIN 612 was one of the first places The Wife and I went to eat. (The s’mores dessert is forever etched into my taste memory.) Today, Chef Ty and his crew have added City Bagel to the stable, turned a basement into The Guest Room, and soon, the one we’re all waiting for…Humble Taco.
Let’s talk international flavors. When I was a youngster we had to go to Columbus for tacos. Now you can throw a rock and hit three out of our four Mexican restaurants. For Asian edibles, it was House of Kong or nothing. Now we have four places for Chinese, two each for Thai and Japanese, and one for Indian. And if you’re feeling like fusion at home, Asian Market is just two doors down from the Tienda Hispana. Taste the world in 25.8 square miles. For barbecue, consider Dooey, Petty’s, Moe’s, Two Brothers, or 1883 Smokehouse: take your pick. Coffee aficionados haunt 929, Strange Brew, the People’s Cup, Umble Coffee and Jitterbeans. (We drip and we roast.) If we count pizza as Italian, there’s Stromboli’s, Lost Pizza, or that deep dish from Dave’s. Christy’s for the traditional burger, StaggerIn for the deep fried version. Morning carbs? Shipley’s Donuts and The Biscuit Shop. Morning everything else, plus lunch and sometimes dinner? Starkville Cafe is an institution not to be missed, and The Breakfast Club is staking a claim. Need baked goods with your lunch? Big Buns & More for cinnamon rolls and hot grilled cheese sandwiches, or Cake Box Eatery for blue plates and something decadent. Mayhew Junction makes the beer, then Grain Elevator takes their spent grain and makes it into crackers. Head across town to MSU for some cheese from the MAFES store to put on those crackers, and a cup of Muscadine Ripple ice cream for later. Or now. Chef-driven opportunities are not lost here, either. Can’t miss The Veranda (what’s not to love about a chef named Jay?). Commodore Bob’s Yacht Club is always on the cutting edge of creative cooking. Fun things are regularly on the menu board at the Camphouse. At King Craft’s Butcher you can have a steak now, and take one home to grill later. Perhaps, like me, you love to travel, and perhaps you like to try new places on the road. But isn’t it nice to know if we want to eat well or even take a dive into culinary diversity, we don’t have to go out of the city limits? February 2019 • 31
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A CUT ABOVE
Restaurant and Butcher Shop finds home in Starkville By CHARLIE BENTON February 2019 • 33
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Starting in February WTF will serve a Saturday Brunch offering Chicken with Red Velvet Waffles, Peach Cobbler French Toast and more.
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Crawfish Pot FEBRUARY 2019 • 41
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HOURS: Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 am -9:00pm Friday and Saturday 11:30-10:00 pm Sunday 12-7 • Monday - closed
MENU: A great selection of seafood platters, burgers and po’boys and specialties including:
WING FLAVOR INCLUDES Hot, Buffalo, BBQ, Lemon Pepper, WTF, Jamaican Curry, Hot Honey Gold, Ranch, Garlic Parmesan, Garlic, Spicy Peach.
FRIES AND NACHOS Chicken Bacon Ranch Fries, Loaded Seafood Fries, Philly Steak Fries, Loaded Nacho Trio, Loaded Seafood Nachos, Loaded Shrimp Nachos.
PLATTERS Chicken Tender Platter, Chicken and Fish Platter, Crab Leg Platter, Shrimp Platter, Steamed Mussel Platter, Fish Platter, Fish and Shrimp Platter, Crab and Shrimp Platter, Fish and Crab Platter, Chicken and Crab Platter, WTF Combination Platter.
SPECIALTIES Mardi Gras Pasta, Philly Steak Pasta, Shrimp Alfredo, Chicken Alfredo, Fish & Grits, Shrimp & Grits, Catfish Pastalaya.
BURGERS Double Cheeseburger, Chorizo Burger with Sauteed Shrimp, WTF Shrimp Burger, Stuffed Cheeseburger.
MORE ITEMS Pull and Peel Shrimp, Crab Legs, Shrimp Alfredo Po’Boy, WTF Shrimp Burger, Freshman 15, Sophomore 30, Trash Pot, Power Plates, Crawfish Pot, Southern Pot.
What WTF brings to Starkville “Just like the name, the menu is a little bit of everything, it’s WHERE THE FOOD? Our goal is not to be regular. We prefer to be original and provide our customer with unique items that you can not get anywhere else. So many of our customers get a kick out of our name, WTF, and it has been one of the main attractions as well as our creative dishes. We are still the hidden gem in Starkville, and being in a more appealing location now has brought in many new faces!!” FEBRUARY 2019 • 43
ALWAYS SOMETHING SPECIAL AT MAGNOLIA’S AT THE RITZ BY DONNA SUMMERALL
When the Ritz Cafe closed, people who worked in downtown West Point were wondering where they could go for lunch within their lunch hour.
the Ritz Cafe was closing. The space was perfect. The kitchen and everything was already ready there. So a year ago, we opened Magnolia’s at the Ritz.”
Meanwhile, Ray and Carrie Hamilton had been thinking of a way to offer lunch at Anthony’s.
The Hamilton’s own both and Carrie Hamilton is over the day-to-day operations of the lunch restaurant located beside The Ritz Theater and Conference Center in downtown West Point.
“It would be really hard for us to change from a lunch menu to a supper menu at Anthony’s,” Ray Hamilton said. “We needed cleaning time and prep time. We just didn’t see a way to do it. Until we heard 44 • TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
“We started out a little too ambitious at first,” Ray Hamilton said. “We didn’t have menu items that
Ray Hamilton checks with lunch diners to make sure everything is exactly as they ordered. There is seating available for larger groups to enjoy lunch at Magnolia’s at the Ritz. Magnolia’s at the Ritz is perfectly situated on Commerce Street in downtown West Point. It is within walking distance to many local businesses and offices. It makes having lunch at Magnolia’s an easy choice.
translated well to being able to order, prepare, serve and finish in a 30 - 45 minute window. We had to rethink the menu for people with not a lot of time, but who still wanted a great lunch.” Magnolia’s at the Ritz is a lunch eatery. Dine-in or carry-out sandwiches, skewers and desserts. shrimp, crawfish tails, pulled pork favorite.
southern/cajun is available with Tacos with fried or catfish are a
“We have something for everyone,” Ray Hamilton said. “We have the same commitment to quality and customer service in both of our restaurants. Most of the kitchen staff and servers work in both locations.” It took some extra work with the staff to get them ready for the faster pace of a lunch service, very different from the more laid back approach to working a supper shift. FEBRUARY 2019 • 45
“The time restraint was something the staff had to become accustomed to,” Hamilton said. “The dinner shift at Anthony’s is busy. Especially on the weekend when we have no empty tables. But people don’t generally have somewhere to be within an hour. So it’s less hectic. But we know at Magnolia’s, people have to be back at work. So we try to offer service within that time frame. It took a little time for the staff to learn. But they are all great now.” Magnolia’s also offers Sunday brunch for after church or those who like to sleep in, but want something in between breakfast and lunch. Fried sausage and pancake skewers over cheese grits with a blueberry coulis has been on the brunch menu, along with house Mimosas and Bloody Marys. “We have great food,” Carrie Hamilton said.”We’re trying to grow the Magnolia. We want it to be as well known and respected as Anthony’s is. We want to give people some different options for lunch. You can get a burger anywhere. We want to be first place people think of for lunch or brunch on Sunday.” 46 • TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
People in West Point were already accustomed to their being a lunch restaurant in the location, it was just a matter of changing the decor and putting together a great lunch menu. “Deborah Mansfield did most of the paintings that hang in the Magnolia,” Hamilton said. “Some we purchased primarily to hang here. Some Deborah changes out every once in a while. But they are all great. We love having art from local artists.” No matter whether dining at Anthony’s or Magnolia’s at the Ritz, the food prepared is of the highest quality and prepared by staff the Hamilton’s train themselves. “We wouldn’t let anything come out of our kitchens that we wouldn’t serve to our own families,” Hamilton said. “Even the food on the kids menu is something we would feed our own children.” Lunch in West Point is always on point at Magnolia’s at the Ritz.
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Divian Conner’s Mexican Pizza Extraordinaire
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Divian Conner’s Mexican Pizza Extraordinaire • Flour Tortillas (2 per pizza) • Refried Beans • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts OR • 2 pounds of ground beef • 2 packets of taco seasoning • Lettuce • 1 jar of Ragu Double Cheddar Sauce • 2 tomatoes • Shredded Cheese I made both chicken and beef versions for my family, but you can use either or. Cook the chicken or beef as you normally would in a pan. Once ground beef is done, drain grease and then add taco seasoning, mix well and set aside in bowl. Once chicken is halfway done--juices run clear-- remove from heat and begin to ‘shred’ by using two forks...one to hold chicken in place, the other to shred. Place shredded chicken in bowl and season with taco seasoning packet. Mix well. Place your flour tortillas in the oven at 250 degrees until lightly toasted. Prepare refried beans on top of the stove per directions. Chop your lettuce and tomatoes. I place everything in its own bowl for easy assembly. In separate bowl, empty your jar of Ragu Double Cheddar sauce and add in taco seasoning. I use 1/2 a packet of seasoning since I like a lighter queso flavor. Mix well. Spread beans on tortilla evenly, top with meat then sprinkle with cheese. Add the top tortilla. Spread the cheese sauce and then top with lettuce and tomato. And there you have it. That’s it. This would make a perfect build your own Mexican Pizza night for the kids and family. Everyone can assemble their own and you can add bowls with corn, black beans, red peppers, etc. so that each pizza can be customized.
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Quick bites
Small scale eateries offer big taste with snack and meal options By CHARLIE BENTON
Not every food option in Starkville is a full service restaurant. Some have limited menus, or offer counter service only, while others are themselves part of other businesses. However, even without being full service, the establishments provide opportunities for a quick bite or a sweet treat.
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THE POP PORIUM In March 2017, Rosa Dalomba opened The Pop Porium at 119 E. Main St. downtown. The establishment specializes in all manner of popcorn, with flavors ranging from key lime to windy city, a Chicago-style mix of caramel corn and cheese-coated popcorn. The shop also stocks other sweets and snacks including cakes from Sugaree’s , Blue Bell ice cream, snow cones, candies and soft drinks. “I wanted to bring something different to Starkville, something that was not there already, something family friendly, something fun, and something that can be easily integrated into the community, into the culture, and everybody loves popcorn,” Dalomba said. The shop regularly sets up at community events, including Sunday Funday and the Starkville Farmer’s Market. It also hosts regular community events ranging from salsa dancing to open mic nights to art markets. “Going back to why I chose popcorn, to why I chose this specific location, I really wanted to do something that can be versatile as far as what we offer to the community, and not just offer popcorn and a food product, but offer somewhere that people can come and express culture and livelihood and have a good time,” Dalomba said. “We try to go to every FEBRUARY 2019 • 55
event that we are invited to, just to show that we are in the community, here to serve the community.” Dalomba said she couldn’t pick out a single favorite product, but said some of her favorite flavors include the windy city, coconut kettle corn and maroon velvet. “That’s one of our big sellers,” Dalomba said of the windy city popcorn. She said in the future, she hoped to expand her concept to other communities. The shop will also celebrate its second anniversary soon.” “We are hoping to grow this year,” Dalomba said. “We are hoping to have more than one shop. Our biggest goal is to be able to say the line ‘our headquarters is located in Starkville,’ to be able to say that we have multiple products and multiple sources of selling those products.” 56 • TOWNANDGOWNMAGAZINE.COM
The Pop Porium is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The shop can be reached at 662-722-0344.
BOOK MART CAFÉ In 2008, The Book Mart, located at 120 E. Main St. expanded into foodservice with the opening of a café. The establishment specializes in baked goods, beverages and sandwiches, and offers a daily lunch special. Recently, the café has expanded its offerings, adding an array of soups and pastas. Assorted flavors of ice cream are also available. “It’s definitely changed in the time I’ve been here,” said café employee Payton Wigington.
Café Manager Miranda Dewberry said establishment was looking toward the future.
the
“We’re definitely trying to start new things and trying out some different recipes,” Dewberry said. Some of the café’s most popular items include cake pops, cranberry pecan chicken salad and the recently added cupcakes. Currently, the lunch specials are not based on days of the week, but past lunch specials have included lasagna, spaghetti and chicken enchiladas. “We’re getting kind of bigger on cupcakes, doing different recipes with cupcakes and cookies,” Wigington said. “We do cakes, muffins, that kind of stuff. With advance notice, the café will also fill catering orders. “We do cookie orders, cake pops, cupcakes,” Dewberry said. “You know, things like that. They just need to let us know probably two days in advance.” Wigington said the café brings many different people into the store, including those looking for a quiet space to study or read, as well as students from Armstrong Middle School stopping in for an afterschool treat. “I think it just kind of brings a comfortable, homey vibe,” Wigington said. “A lot of different ages come in here to relax or work on their computer or study.” The Book Mart and Café is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It can be reached at 662-323-2844.
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Starkville Daily News publishes b-ball sports for your full court press
Bulldog Basketball!
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