Are you a finalist or winner? Need more information about the virtual awards ceremony? Email kimberly@jacksonfreepress.com or call 601-362-6121 ext 11. 19 th annual
Best Barista: Victoria Fortenberry
Best Chef: Godfrey Morgan
(Cups Espresso Cafe, 2757 Old Canton Road, 601362-7422, cupsespressocafe.com)
(Godfrey’s, 2460 Terry Road, 601-398-3602, facebook.com/Godfreys)
Finalists: Kree’ Blackwell (Bar 3911, 3911 Northview Drive, 601-586-1468) / Cody Cox (Urban Foxes, 826 North St., 769-572-5505, urbanfoxesjxn.com) / Jessica Glenn (The Bean, 2914 N. State St., 769-572-5752, facebook.com/thebeanjxn) / Cameron Phillips / Joey Tannehill (Cups Espresso Cafe, multiple locations, cupsespressocafe.com) / Jordan White (The Bean, 2914 N. State St., 769-572-5752, facebook.com/thebeanjxn)
Best Bartender: Terrance “T.P.” Patton
(Names & Faces Lounge, 224 E. Capitol St., 601-9555285, facebook.com/namesandfaceslounge)
February 3 - March 2, 2021 • jfp.ms
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Finalists: Brandi Carter (Elvie’s, 809 Manship St., 601-863-8828, elviesrestaurant.com) / Tristan Duplichain / Kurt Monaghan (Hal & Mal’s, 200 Commerce St., 601-948-0888, halandmals.com) / Ashley Pullin
Finalists: Derek Emerson (CAET Seafood and Oysterette; 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 9015, Ridgeland; 601-321-9169; caetseafood.com) / Hunter Evans (Elvie’s, 809 Manship St., 601-863-8828, elviesrestaurant.com) / Rashanna Newsome (Aplos Simple Mediterranean; 4500 Interstate 55 N., Suite 174; 601-714-8989; eataplos.com) / Pierre Pryor (Iron Horse Grill, 320 W. Pearl St., 601-398-0151, theironhorsegrill.com) / Enrika Williams (Fauna Foodworks, 601-287-1276, facebook.com/faunafoodworks) / Connor Wolf (Farmer’s Table in Livingston, 1030 Market St., Flora, 601-506-6821, farmerstableinlivingston.com)
Best Dressed: Angela Phillips For as long as she can remember, Angela Phillips, 33, has enjoyed assembling outfits that look good and reflect her creative personality. “I can remember my dad when I was younger always saying, ‘Wherever you go, you got to make sure you look presentable,’” she says, recalling how he would often wait for her to get her look right before going out. Phillips grew up in north Jackson, graduated from Murrah High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Jackson State University in 2012 before completing her MBA at Belhaven University in 2018. Phillips, now the local leasing manager at Northpark Mall in Ridgeland, strives for outfits that can go from the office to out on the town without sacrificing her personality or professionalism. Drawing inspiration from E! News correspondent Nina Parker, Phillips likes to keep up with what’s next in fashion, from earth-toned tops and rose gold jewelry to leather joggers and Steve Madden sneakers. Though every piece bears her touch, Phillips says her personality really shows in her shoes and her earrings. Offering advice on cultivating one’s own style, Phillips believes being yourself is the key. “You are your own brand,” she says. —Kyle Hamrick
COURTESY ANGELA PHILLIPS
FULLOFLAVA PHOTOGRAPHY
Terrance Patton, more commonly known by his nickname T.P., owns, manages and bartends at the Names and Faces Lounge in downtown Jackson. Although his familial roots lie in Memphis, Patton has considered Jackson home since 2003 when he arrived with a band scholarship to Jackson State University. After graduation, he worked as a server, gaining enough of a following and skill that he eventually garnered a spot behind the bar. “I love being around people. I’m just a people person,” Patton says. “I like being the ear of people in everyday situations. I’m like a counselor behind the bar. I can feel what kind of day people are having based on body language and facial expressions.” He completed his bartending certification in Tunica where he learned about a panoply of drinks, signs of customer intoxication, proper wine storage, drink vehicles and other topics. The training comprised three months filled with eight-hour classes. His motivation for opening the lounge derived from both a desire to be financially independent and a drive to place a friendly eating and drinking establishment where customers can feel comfortable staying for hours—and, perhaps most importantly, return again and again—in the city he calls home. Not only did Page design Names and Faces Lounge, he participated in the construction, and he plans to open a second location in Hattiesburg in the near future. —Mike McDonald
Godfrey Morgan, the owner and chef of Godfrey’s, describes his restaurant and catering service on Terry Road as his “little island in south Jackson.” Though the restaurant’s menu and ambience are inspired by his Caribbean roots, the 41-year-old says his kitchen serves everything from oxtail and jerk chicken to veggie spring rolls and queso fries. Born in Jamaica, Morgan grew up in the Cayman Islands before he moved to Jackson, where he completed culinary school at Hinds Community College in 2004. After working with world-class chefs in casinos in Mississippi and Louisiana, Morgan became the executive chef at Jackson State University in 2007, where he would stay for the next 11 years. In 2018, after operating a catering service on the side, Morgan opened a fulltime catering business that also served takeaway meals once a week. His food was so popular that he opened a full-service restaurant a year later. Everything on his menu is made from his original recipes in house, fresh every day. He says he likes to go “over the top” to make sure every dish is “always seasoned to perfection.” “I love the joy that food brings,” Morgan says. “To me, food is life.” —Kyle Hamrick
BEN HON
JOSH TOMLISON
“I call myself the surliest barista in Jackson,” Victoria Fortenberry, a barista at Cups Espresso Café in Fondren, says. Meanwhile, her coworkers, however, call her “Uncle Vic” for her loving and protective personality. Since 2015, with a year-long stint in the middle as a bartender, the 24-year-old has served cortados and other drinks she can make with her eyes shut to scores of regulars and visitors alike. The Rankin County native found a community at Cups “listening to music and drinking too much coffee,” she says. “I pretty much grew up in this coffee shop.”After graduating homeschool in 2015, Fortenberry tried out three majors at three different colleges before realizing it wasn’t for her. She also plays the keyboard while her sister, Katie Fortenberry, plays the drums for Double Take, a musical duo they formed three years ago. Fortenberry likes that Cups’ beans are ethically sourced and locally roasted, and is grateful to keep working amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I feel very privileged to work not only with the family we have at Cups, but with the family we have in the neighborhood,” Fortenberry says. —Kyle Hamrick
Finalists: Kyris Brown / Inez Doe / Eric Henderson / Jobeth Leigh Mcintosh / Alex Moore / Hannah Roland
