Open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
“Tallahatchie Gourmet was established in 2002. We have recently relocated to Main St. in New Albany. Stop by and see us. Not only do we have ready to cook casseroles, but we also have our famous chicken salad, pimiento cheese, and assorted dips.”
New Albany has much to offer locals and visitors — Historic attractions, shopping, art, the Tanglefoot Trail, festivals, and food, just to name a few. But y’all know the local cuisine is what I’m all about!
A friend of mine recently told me that back in “ye olden days” when the railroads and other infrastructures were being built, one of the first positions hired was the cook. This is why I focus mainly on eating out for my blog. Build a good place to eat…and they will come. Every community needs one or more good eatin’ spots for folks to gather, fellowship, and have a good meal.
New Albany has many unique hometown restaurants to choose from. I visited Tallahatchie Gourmet Restaurant, established in 2002. It’s just off Bankhead and in the heart of downtown. They offer plate lunches, menu items, and also take-home items, like ready-to-cook casseroles, salads, dips, and more.
I’ve received several recommendations on what to order, but for my first meal I went with the small plate of Shrimp & Grits. It’s cheese grits, topped with sautéed shrimp in a light brute blanc sauce, bacon pieces, cheese, and green onions. It comes with a slice of French bread and a small salad with Balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
The Shrimp & Grits were extremely good and definitely qualifies as comfort food. The shrimp were plump and plentiful — enough shrimp for almost every bite! It already had good saturation, meaning I didn’t have to churn the dish to get all the goodies blended with the grits.
The salad was very simple, but a good pairing with the meal. The airy, yet tangy, salad balanced well with the richness of the shrimp and grits.
I’m going to conclude with the beginning of my visit to Tallahatchie Gourmet. For lunch, you first go to the counter, order, pay for your meal, then get a seat. I am all about visuals when it comes to food…so naturally I found a seat in the back, so I could watch the staff as they made deliveries. By doing so, I saw several items I’d like to try on future visits. And speaking of the staff, everyone seemed to work with perfect timing. I was greeted with a smile, waited on periodically, and offered a to-go glass for my trip home. Whether you live in town, or a bit further out like me, definitely put the Tallahatchie Gourmet restaurant on your list of places to see.
Friends, it’s that time of year again! Yep — Valentine’s Day is coming up !
Now, I know a bunch of you guys are going to wait until the last minute, so I thought I would just remind you! And yes, it’s gonna cost you a little money, but hey, it’s money well spent!
I don’t know who started this holiday, but someone said it was a florist and a candy maker who owned a jewelry store that sold perfume, cards, balloons, and teddy bears! I don’t know if it’s true, but I saw it on Facebook so it must be true!
Now, growing up, you remember getting the little boxes of Valentines? You got enough so you could give one to everyone in your class! Remember that? And wasn’t that sweet? Just a little old paper heart that said stuff like, “Be my valentine!” Or “I heart you!” You wanted everyone to have one especially the girls!
That was in grammar school, though. In high school, you had to be a bit more selective about who got one!
Now, though, it’s gotten a little more expensive, and they just keep on adding stuff for you to buy! Balloons and Teddy bears as big as you! Takes a real man to carry one of them out of the store! They got these big old cards as big as a sheet of plywood too! What’s up with that?
So guys, just remember to get something! Don’t pay any attention if she says she doesn’t want anything! You better not believe that! Run, don’t walk, to the nearest store and buy candy, balloons, jewelry and flowers! Grab one of them big Teddy Bears too!
If she works, send it to her at work — they like that! Something about the other girl seeing it makes it special!
And if it she doesn’t work, just surprise her anyway!
Just look at her and remember: She chose you — she could have done a whole lot better! You’re just blessed to have her!
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Friday, February 7, 2020. It is the 38th day of the year. There are 328 days left in the year and 47 days left of winter! Valentine’s Day is in 7 days, and Spring starts in 48 days.
HAPPENING TODAY
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
Our Tupelo is having a Valentine’s Day Giveaway — Get a dozen scrumptious cupcakes from Deep South Delicacies just in time for your sweet tooth’s favorite holiday! This giveaway ends at noon on Wednesday 2/12/20. For rules and how to enter, just click the red button below!
Our Tupelo also has a FAMILY FOUR-PACK of tickets to see the WWE Wrestlemania show at the Bancorpsouth Arena on March 28 to give away to our followers here at OurTupelo! For rules and how to enter, just click the green button below!
The BancorpSouth Conference Center will be hosting the IF:Tupelo Women’s Conference 2020 today at 9 a.m.. The goal of IF:Tupelo is to gather women from different backgrounds, churches, ages, and denominations together to worship and grow together so as to better display the love of Christ to our community. IF:Tupelo will simulcast very close to the live event and feature a worship team made up of talented individuals from around North Mississippi. This gathering is for every woman around the Tupelo area 15 years old and up. They will be providing coffee, water, and snacks during the event.
If you have little ones, don’t miss Storytime at Barnes & Noble every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for an exciting story, crafts, and snacks in the children’s department..
The Tupelo Flea Market is this weekend at the Tupelo Furniture Market, plus the Boat & RV Show! The Flea Market will be in Buildings 1 & 3, while the Boat & RV Show will be in Building 5. As always, there is free parking, and handicapped spaces are available. Admission is $1.00 per person. Children 5 and under are free.
The Tupelo High School Performing Arts Center will be hosting the Mississippi North District Junior Civitans’ Talent Show tonight at 6 p.m.
Extreme Athletics in Tupelo is having their second Nerf Night tonight at 6 p.m.. $15.00 includes pizza, chips, and a drink. Bring your own gun that takes traditional bullets and they will provide bullets and eyewear.
Read With A Ranger today at 10 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Visitors’ Center, with the featured story “Not a Buzz to Be Found: Insects in Winter.” Uncover where insects go in winter to keep warm! Read with a Ranger is a 45-minute program that is most appropriate for ages six and under, but everyone is welcome. Participants will listen to a story and join in a fun activity. This program is free to the public.
In neighboring communities, you might be interested in these events:
The Historic Elkin Theatrein Aberdeen invites you to this weekend’s show! Regular admission is $5 each, and all concessions are $1 each. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the movie starts at 7 pm. Admissions and concessions are cash only. Showing this weekend: Cats (Rated PG)
In Fulton, check out Story Time at the Itawamba County Pratt Memorial Library every Saturday at noon!
In Booneville, EPW Wrestling presents The King of Small Style “Swoggle” : FKA WWE’s Hornswoggle! Bell Time is 8:00 p.m.. Doors Open at 6:45 p.m..
In Corinth, the Crossroads Arena will be hosting The Corinth Kiwanis Club’s Father-Daughter Ball at 6 p.m.
In Pontotoc, the Valley Grove Baptist Church will be hosting a Fundraiser Benefit for Darla Pennington at 4 p.m.. Darla is battling liver cancer. There will be hamburger plates, hotdog plates, music by the Pontotoc Ridge Boys and Leo Mask and the County Mounties, and an auction (cakes, furniture, etc..) Plates are $10 and are available dine in, carry out, or drive up.
In Aberdeen, the Aberdeen Visitors Bureau is hosting a Mardi Gras Masked Ball at the Stevens Auction Company. Masks are optional, and tickets include Food, Drinks, and Entertainment by The Directors and King Cake. All proceeds benefit the Friends of Aberdeen Animal Shelter. A Mardi Gras king and queen will be crowned at the close of the ball. Mardi Gras style dress preferred but not required. Just come and enjoy the sights and sounds that only carnival brings. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at Animal Shelter Thrift Store, Flora’s Collections, The Friendship House, Stevens Auction Company, Twisted Twig and Aberdeen Visitors Bureau. Call (662) 436-1003 or (662)369-9440 for information.
Tupelo — Long before Tupelo residents were were asked to pit their favorite comfort foods against each other at Pizza Vs Tacos, a quiet civil war has been raging over the name of a local Thai restaurant: Sao. Or is it Nao? No one can really come to an agreement.
“It clearly says SAO on the sign,” says frequent patron Randy Wooten. “Anyone that calls it something different is an idiot.”
“Yeah I know Randy. The problem with people like Randy is that they call me an idiot, but they’re too ignorant to look at the sign on the actual building,” retorts Jeff Milner, another frequent customer.
“It says NAO in giant capital letters. Jeff and I used to be friends. We used to eat there together. But one day we got into a heated argument about the name. Some words were said, some curry was thrown. Long story short, we aren’t allowed in there together anymore.”
“He says I’m ignorant?!” replied a livid Wooten. “He’d better not ever show his face at Sao on my weekend or he’ll find out real quick that Spicy Old Man isn’t just an item on the menu!”
To both Wooten’s and Milner’s credit, the restaurant does have two signs with two different names. The discrepancy may be the reason some people have never patronized the establishment.
“I won’t eat there,” say Willa Mason. “I drive by there all the time. It’s got two names, but I don’t know how to pronounce either one of them, so I ain’t eating there. Ain’t nothing Christian about it. I’ll just keep going to New China Buffet for my Asian cuisine. I can pronounce the name and they got good Jell-o.”
“Tupelo has five Subways,” says Brad Locke. “We should be thankful we even have cultural options. We shouldn’t be arguing over semantics. It’s not the name of a place that makes it’s good. It’s the food. It’s the environment. It’s the people. Thai food should bring people together, not divide us. When we eat Thai we’re not republicans or democrats, rich or poor. We’re not Sao or Nao. We’re just hungry.”
Locke was asked if he has a solution to the name conflict.
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Friday, February 7, 2020. It is the 38th day of the year. There are 328 days left in the year and 47 days left of winter! Valentine’s Day is in 7 days, and Spring starts in 48 days.
HAPPENING TODAY
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
The BancorpSouth Conference Center will be hosting the IF:Tupelo Women’s Conference 2020 today at 7 p.m. and tomorrow at 9 a.m.. The goal of IF:Tupelo is to gather women from different backgrounds, churches, ages, and denominations together to worship and grow together so as to better display the love of Christ to our community. IF:Tupelo will simulcast very close to the live event and feature a worship team made up of talented individuals from around North Mississippi. This gathering is for every woman around the Tupelo area 15 years old and up. They will be providing coffee, water, and snacks during the event.
If you have little ones, don’t miss Storytime at Reed’s Gumtree Bookstore at 10:30 a.m.
The Tupelo Flea Market is this weekend at the Tupelo Furniture Market, plus the Boat & RV Show! The Flea Market will be in Buildings 1 & 3, while the Boat & RV Show will be in Building 5. As always, there is free parking, and handicapped spaces are available. Admission is $1.00 per person. Children 5 and under are free.
Wet Paint will be hosting a Valentine’s After School Special at 4 p.m.: Painting your choice of either a darling small heart box or the very adorable small heart frame. Each piece is just $15.00+tax and includes a snack and a drink.
The Art Box Studio will be hosting a Paint Party Fundraiser for Beyond the Cover today at 6 p.m.. Beyond the Cover is a pageant for people with developmental disabilities. It is a yearly project of the SPOT Community Service Club.
Downtown Tupelo will be hosting Galentine’s Night Out this evening at 5 p.m.: Enjoy a night out with your gals! Main Street will have select stores open later for you to enjoy specials and sales. Don’t forget to grab a bite to eat or share a drink at one of the many restaurants in Downtown Tupelo. Check out the following shops to see what specials they will be having for you during this event:
-RAW Furniture -L.A. Green Tupelo -Anna Elizabeth -Swirlz -Blairhaus Interiors
Tupelo’s Regional Rehabilitation Center will also be hosting a Ladies’ Night Out this evening at 5:30 p.m. for an evening of social networking and creativity while you learn to make lighted ball wall decor for Valentine’s Day. You can learn this skill to appreciate yourself, to teach other, or to reproduce for craft fairs. The cost is $10.00 per student and they will supply everything you need to create your magical piece.
In neighboring communities, you might be interested in these events:
The Historic Elkin Theatrein Aberdeen invites you to this weekend’s show! Regular admission is $5 each, and all concessions are $1 each. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the movie starts at 7 pm. Admissions and concessions are cash only. Showing this weekend: Cats (Rated PG)
Historic downtown Baldwyn will host its first ever First Friday Art Walk on Friday, February 7, 2020 from 4 PM – 7 PM. The event will feature guest artists, musicians, authors, candle makers, comic book illustrators, and much more. Guests at The Alley Cat Gallery can meet outstanding artist Rebecca Browning who creates beautiful watercolors and unique Lino prints, while also enjoying live music from talented local musicians. Next door to the gallery, Paper Moon Clothing will host Mississippi artist Rhonda Grammar, while Underground Comics will introduce their visitors to comic book illustrator Jonathan McDaniel. Katlyn Coker at The New Stitch will demonstrate personal engravings and artist Kelly Williams will be at Fill My Cup. Other participating merchants (including jewelry designer and artist April Bell of Little Little Light of Mine) will offer refreshments, music, extended hours, discounts, and door prizes – all while celebrating fine art. This monthly event kicks off in February and will return every first Friday thereafter, bringing artists, musicians, authors, singers, entertainers, and much, much more in celebration of Art in Baldwyn.
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Thursday, February 6, 2020. It is the 37th day of the year. There are 329 days left in the year and 48 days left of winter! Valentine’s Day is in 8 days, and Spring starts in 49 days.
HAPPENING TODAY
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
Storyplay at the Lee County Library in Tupelo is today at 9:30 a.m.. Storyplay is a storytime program featuring songs, rhymes, activities, and books more suitable for the baby to toddler set. Play will be highlighted and embraced during this program and modifications will be presented to accommodate different abilities and age groups.
Tupelo’s Weight Loss Support Group will meet tonight at 6 p.m. This group meets on the first Thursday of each month from 6-7 p.m. at the NMMC Wellness Center, 1030 S. Madison, Tupelo, MS. Please call (662) 377- SLIM (7546) for further information. Weight Loss Support Group meetings are also available to watch online at www.nmhs.net/weight-loss-support-group.
The Oren Dunn City Museum presents Black History Month, honoring Frank Dowsing, a Tupelo Spirit awardee, this evening at 5:30 p.m.. Mr. Dowsing was a remarkable individual who helped ease racial tensions at Tupelo High School and Mississippi State University through his affable personality and his athletic prowess. There will be live music, exhibits, and refreshments.
It’s Board Game Night at Queen’s Reward Meadery! Games are FREE to play and their staff will be on hand to recommend and teach each one, OR you are welcome to bring your own! Event hours are 5 until 8 p.m.. Gypsy Roadside Mobile will be on hand, serving up their menu. Make sure to swing by for dinner, mead, and games!
Event Zona will be hosting ARC of Northeast Mississippi’s Bowling To Achieve Night, and invites you to join them for a great night of family fun. $5.00 includes everything you need for bowling. Disability accessible and adaptive equipment available as well.
If we missed a listing you know of, please let us know!
Want us to know about something coming up? Just tag our Facebook page, or you can even mark us co-host on an event you are having on your Facebook event listing. You can also send us a message on our Facebook page, or shoot us an email at submit@ourtupelo.com and we will help you share it.
Be sure to check out our extended calendar of events as well, for upcoming happenings in the area!
Have a great day and get out there and enjoy Our Tupelo!
* We update all listings periodically as new information becomes available.
If you’d like to become a sponsor of our daily Rundown, please contact joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com or call 662-260-1498
Mississippi State University Director of Player Personnel Rockey Felker will attend and speak at the Black History Month celebration on Thursday, Feb. 6. The program begins at 5:30 p.m. at the museum.
“We are thrilled to have Mr. Felker come to this event,” said Leesha Faulkner, curator of the museum. “Many of us remember the veer option and his gift for running that offense, as well as those days he coached the Bulldogs. We appreciate his time and are grateful to the MSU Athletics Department for working with us to honor Frank Dowsing of Tupelo, another outstanding Bulldog.”
Sam Bell, the quarterback for the George Washington Carver Blue Devils in 1955, will also be honored for his community leadership. Mr. Bell led the team in 1955 that won the district championship.
African American leaders Frank Dowsing and Sam Bell will be among several locals who will be featured in the Oren Dunn City Museum;s Black History Exhibit from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“Tupelo has a rich heritage. The African American community is a significant contributor to the Tupelo story,” said Oren Dunn City Museum curator Leesha Faulkner.
Frank Dowsing will be receiving the Spirit of Tupelo designation and will be featured in Tupelo’s Black History exhibit. He was one of the first African American students to integrate Tupelo High School and was one of two African American football players recruited by Mississippi State University, where he was an athletic and academic standout, Faulkner said. Mr. Dowsing was a remarkable individual who helped ease racial tensions at Tupelo High School and Mississippi State University through his affable personality and his athletic prowess.
via the Daily Journal, Bell, a Medallion Award recipient, was the quarterback of the 1955 George Washington Carver High School team, which won their district championship, and has been a leader in Tupelo in a variety of other ways. Bell was also a close friend of Elvis Presley.
“(African American contribution to Tupelo) is a thread that runs through the whole tapestry and binds us together, and I think that will be evidenced by the banners that are on our walls (and) our celebration of these and other African American folks who are here and who have passed us,” Faulkner said.
Mayor Jason Shelton and Tupelo City Council President Nettie Davis will attend. Local radio announcer Stan Allen of The Pulse 104.3 FM will be the masters of ceremonies. Allen was recently named one of the most influential African Americans by Our Mississippi. Zell Long will be singing. Refreshments will be served.
There will also be a special exhibit of African American soldiers in various wars at the Tupelo Veterans Museum. Thanks to the Tupelo School District, for the first time, there will be an exhibit on the early days of George Washington Carver High School prior to integration. It will feature composite photos and historical items, such as a copy of a PTA program from when key Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes gave a reading at Carver High School on Feb. 18, 1946. A Chicago Defender article confirmed George McLean sent a reporter to cover it.
“You can almost tell the shock in that reporter’s voice, because it was like, wow, there’s a white reporter here covering this, and this was still Jim Crow,” Faulkner said.
Faulkner has been planning the event since June, but said a committee formed in December. She also has plans for Women’s History Month. This year’s exhibit is funded through the CREATE Zeke and Karen Hodges Fund, which is a grant designated for Black History Month exhibits. This will be in memory of Ricky Mallory, Faulkner said.
The exhibit opens at the Oren Dunn Museum at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, and will have live music and refreshments.
Good morning Tupelo! Today is Wednesday, February 5, 2020. It is the 36th day of the year. There are 330 days left in the year and 49 days left of winter! Valentine’s Day is in 9 days, and Spring starts in 50 days.
HAPPENING TODAY
Today in Tupelo, here are the things going on around town:
The Tupelo Country Club invites you to join them to celebrate International Networking Week by networking with business professionals in your community.
Chik-Fil-A in Tupelo hosts Breakfast and BINGO every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m.. This event is free and open to the public, and kids are also welcomed guests. All first time bingo guests may receive a free coffee!
If we missed a listing you know of, please let us know!
Want us to know about something coming up? Just tag our Facebook page, or you can even mark us co-host on an event you are having on your Facebook event listing. You can also send us a message on our Facebook page, or shoot us an email at submit@ourtupelo.com and we will help you share it.
Be sure to check out our extended calendar of events as well, for upcoming happenings in the area!
Have a great day and get out there and enjoy Our Tupelo!
* We update all listings periodically as new information becomes available.
If you’d like to become a sponsor of our daily Rundown, please contact joshua.ballard@ourtupelo.com or call 662-260-1498
Oxford — January 25th at The Lyric Theater in iconic Oxford, Mississippi, history and music merged to perform an evening I will never forget. The Lyric Theater in Oxford is steeped with history and southern charm — you can feel it as soon as you step into the foyer.
The Lyric has been everything from originally a livery stable owned by William Faulkner’s family; a movie theater; a health center and a set of offices; and now in the present time, back to a Theater. It is an amazing venue for live music and it was here that I had the pleasure of attending the sold-out Billy Strings show.
Billy Strings is a 27-year-old American Guitar Picker and Bluegrass Musician from Lansing, Michigan. Rolling Stones named Strings one of the Top Ten New Country Artists to Know in 2017 and the International Bluegrass Music Association awarded him with the Momentum Award for Instrumentalist of the Year in 2016.
I discovered his music last year by a random YouTube Suggestion. When I found out that he was coming to my area I was ecstatic, but what I discovered while there was life-changing.
You see, Billy Strings is not someone you will ever hear on Top 40 radio, but that has not stopped this talented musician from touring all over the country and performing for sold-out shows as the headliner, without an opening act.
He is part of a minority of musicians that are amassing a wide and far-reaching fan group who follow him around the country without any radio play, without an overly produced music video, without any of the normal trappings of fame and celebrity — just talent and passion and an obvious love for being able to do what he shines at. And it shows, and people flock to it to experience a type of ecstasy that live music lovers can only achieve in the face of such raw real talent in a dynamic live show.
Billy Strings currently has four albums under his belt, three of which were self-published. The latest and best-selling “Home” was released in September of 2019 with his recently signed label, Rounder Records.
His band currently consists of Billy Failing (Banjo), Royal Masat (Upright Bass), and Jarrod Walker (Mandolin), with all three of them providing accompanying vocals and harmonies with Billy Strings.
During this Oxford show, he performed several of my favorites: “This Heart of Mine”, “Old Home Place,” and encored with an amazing performance of “Freedom” which is off of his new album.
