Win a Year of Free Oxford Dining

It’s time once again for the annual Ultimate Dine Out fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of the L-O-U Community.

More than 50 Oxford restaurants have donated gift certificates, giving you the chance to win more than $2,000 worth of dining with just a $10 donation (donate $100 and get 15 chances)! Second prize is $1,000 in gift certificates and third prize is $500 in certificates.

Tickets can be purchased by:

· Contacting parents of Club members or Advisory Board members

· Visiting bgcnms.org/and using a credit card

· Calling the Oxford Clubhouse at 832-0602

Last day to purchase a ticket/tickets is Monday, April 29, at noon. The winner drawing will be televised at noon, April 30, on WTVA.

Participating restaurants include: Abner’s, Ajax Diner, Applebee’s, The Beacon, Big Bad Breakfast, Blind Pig, Bottletree Bakery, Boure’, Char, Chick-fil-A, City Grocery, The Corner, Emileigh’s, Funky’s, Handy Andy, Holli’s Sweet Tooth, Honey Bee Bakery, IHOP, Irie on the Square, Jimmy John’s, Kabuki, Lamar Lounge, LaPaz, Lenora’s, The Levee, Lindsey’s, Lusa, Maharaja, Mama Jo’s, McAlister’s Deli, McEwen’s, McDonald’s, Newk’s, Oby’s, Old Venice Pizza, Oxford University Club, Panini/Oxford Catering, Petra, Phillips Grocery, Proud Larry’s, Ravine, Rice & Spice, Rooster’s, The Round Table, The Sizzler, Snackbar, Sonic, Soulshine Pizza, South Depot Taco Shop, Tacky Shack, Taco Bell, Taqueria El Milagro, Taylor Grocery, Tequila’s, Toyo Japanese, Two Stick Sushi

 

Jon Myrick Recipe: Steamed Mussels with Leeks and Tomatoes

Here’s a recipe from Proud Larry’s executive chef Jon Myrick that seems like it would be difficult until you see him make it and realize you can do it, too! Those at the Oxford Beer Fest saw it firsthand, and now you can try the recipe below. For the fest, Jon used Diamond Bear Southern Blonde for steaming his mussels, but feel free to experiment with any pale ale or lager.

Steamed Mussels with Leeks and Stewed Tomatoes

1 tbsp. butter
1 t. garlic
1/2 c. stewed tomatoes
1/4 c. leeks
1/8 c. parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
about 25 mussels
1/2 c. beer (Jon used Diamond Bear Southern Blonde at the Oxford Beer Fest)

Combine butter, garlic, tomatoes, leeks, parsley, salt and pepper in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once all are cooked through and combined, add mussels and beer and cover to steam. Mussels will be done when shells open (about 4 minutes).

Serves 2

 

The Oxford Beer Fest’s VIP Chef/Beer Pairing area was organized by EatingOxford.com. If you’d like information on how to hold a similar event at your venue, contact Liz@EatingOxford.com.

Erika Lipe Recipe: Betta Chedda Dip

Here’s a great dip for parties or just for snacking on while watching a movie. At the Oxford Beer Fest, Erika paired this addictive dip with Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager.

Betta Chedda Dip from Erika Lipe at Lenora’s

10 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2-3/4 c. Dukes or Blue Blate mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced

Bake walnuts at 250 degrees F for 15 minutes, being careful to not burn. Combine all ingredients and serve with toast points, bagel chips, apples, pears or grapes.

Serves 6

 

The Oxford Beer Fest’s VIP Chef/Beer Pairing area was organized by EatingOxford.com. If you’d like information on how to hold a similar event at your venue, contact Liz@EatingOxford.com.

 

Official Food Preview for Oxford Craft Beer Festival

Hot off the press! The official food lineup for this weekend’s Oxford Craft Beer Festival is here!

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

VIP Area (food included in VIP ticket price)

1:30 p.m.: Sean Adams from Honey Bee Bakery is demonstrating Beer Cheese Soup using Back Forty Kudzu porter

2:30 p.m.: Erika Lipe from Lenora’s is demonstrating Chicken Skewers with Lemon Cucumber Salsa and pairing it with Tall Grass Velvet Rooster

3:30 p.m.: Sam Thamutok from Rice & Spice is demonstrating Hmok Pla (fish wrapped in banana leaf) and pairing it with Diamond Bear Southern Blonde

4:30 p.m.: Rob Ray from McEwen’s is demonstrating BBQ Sliders and pairing them with Lucky Town Ballistic Blonde as well as Oatmeal Stout Cookies using Lucky Town Oatmeal Stout

General Admission Area Food Vendors (VIP ticket holders will receive a meal ticket)

Jambalaya from Louisiana

Gyros from Petra Cafe

Crawfish

Bratwurst, Nachos and Hot Dogs from K&B Catering

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

VIP Area (food included in VIP ticket price)

1:30 p.m.: Erika Lipe from Lenora’s is demonstrating Betta Chedda Dip with accompaniments and pairing with Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

2:30 p.m.: Tim Woodard from Little Easy Express Lunches and Catering is demonstrating Smothered Chicken and Grits and pairing with Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA

3:30 p.m.: Jon Myrick from Proud Larry’s is demonstrating Steamed Mussels with leeks and tomatoes and pairing with Crooked Letter Stabello

General Admission Area

On Sunday, Colonel’s Quarters will offer the following menu items for purchase for general admission (VIP ticket holders will receive a meal ticket)

Caesar Salad (with or without chicken)

Pimento Cheese Fritters

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Fried Green Beans

Oysters on the Half Shell

Castle Hill Burger with home fries or sweet potato fries

Buffalo Chicken Tender Po-Boy with home fries or sweet potato fries

Fried Catfish Po-Boy with home fries or sweet potato fries

Chicken & Waffle

Shrimp & Grits

Fried Catfish with home fries or sweet potato fries

 

Find more event information and tickets on the Beer Fest site here.

 

April 20-21: Oxford Beer Festival

We are mere days away from the Oxford Craft Beer Festival, which will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, at Colonel’s Quarters at Castle Hill.

I have a special interest in the event since I’m organizing the VIP area, which involves six Oxford chefs being teamed up with craft brewers to create unique dishes that either integrate or pair with craft beers. All VIP ticket holders have access to the general admission area as well, and will have access to special brews, complimentary food and water/soda, and entrance into the festival one hour early (at noon).

Also happening in the VIP area will be a silent auction featuring beer-themed items as well as items donated from local Oxford businesses such as RockIT Computer Solutions, Sweet Cheeks, Deal’s Auto Repair, Lafayette Carpet Cleaning and more.

Some things to know before you go (for all ticket holders):

• Online ticket sales are ending soon.
• There are only 100 VIP tickets available per day.
• Ticket prices increase by $10 at the door.
• There should be enough free parking, but for those who would like a ride to the event, there will be a shuttle going to/from the JCPenney parking lot ($10 fee).
• There will be some fun gifts/crafts for purchase at the event, so don’t forget to bring some extra pocket change with you.

Check out the Oxford Beer Festival site for event information and ticket comparison. General admission is $35/pp/day and VIP admission is $75/pp/day.

Find out more about the VIP chefs in the videos below.

Tim Woodard from Little Easy Express Lunches and Catering (Cooking Sunday, April 21)

Sam Thamutok from Rice & Spice (Cooking Saturday, April 20)

Sean Adams from Honey Bee Bakery (Cooking Saturday, April 20)

Erika Lipe from Lenora’s (Cooking Saturday and Sunday)

Jon Myrick from Proud Larry’s (Cooking Sunday, April 21)

Rob Ray from McEwen’s (Cooking Saturday, April 20)

New Farmer’s Market to Open in April

The new Oxford City Market is scheduled to open under a 40 X 60 sq. ft. tent on West Oxford Loop, next to Southland Body Shop, at the end of April.

The city-run farmer’s market will be open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. each Tuesday and may add a second day if all goes well, according to market manager, Katie Morrison.

Fees for booth rental are $10/day for produce, $15/day for prepared foods, and $20/day for arts and crafts.

For more information, as well as a vendor application, visit the market’s Facebook page here or contact Morrison directly at 832-7257 or katiemorrison@oxfordms.net.

New Spring Lunch Menu at Honey Bee Bakery

Honey Bee Bakery just introduced a new spring lunch menu with interesting new items such as a sesame-crusted salmon salad and the Henry Hill sandwich, featuring Stan’s locally cured Prosciutto and salami. Chef Sean Adams is still cooking up rotating soups throughout the week and says the bakery is also now selling NY-style bagels during weekend brunches.

Check out the new menu above or call Honey Bee at 662-236-2490 for more information.

 

Lenoir Dining Featured in eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI

If you haven’t seen the latest issue (April/May) of eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI magazine, grab yourself a copy at Off-Square Books and check out the feature written by yours truly about Oxford’s Lenoir Dining located on the Ole Miss campus.

I’ve posted the cover and first page of the article here, but inside the issue you’ll find additional photos as well as recipes for the restaurant’s meatloaf, jalapeno-cheddar cornbread muffins, sweet potato pecan pie and more.

 

Ezell’s Catfish Cabin Replaces The Shak

Many of you have been wondering about the status of The Shak out on Thacker Rd. It will not be returning.

In its place will be an Ezell’s Catfish Cabin, which currently has two other locations (a third nearing completion) in Alabama. The company that’s opening La Paz on the Square this coming Wednesday will also be opening Ezell’s in the next month or two, according to La Paz general manager Joe Vaculcik.

While they work on the restaurant design, you can check out the menu here, which is chock full of all types of fish.

O.E.C Moves and Bistro Burger Moves In

I can’t say enough great things about the followers of EatingOxford.com! I got a tip last night on Twitter from Hildon Sessums that a new restaurant was moving into the O.E.C. Japanese Express space in the Walmart shopping center.

I went to investigate today and it turns out that O.E.C. has moved a couple doors down and is now sharing space with Maharaja Indian Cuisine. You can dine in or get delivery, and they’ve kept the same phone number (662-234-8088).

In the O.E.C. space, a new restaurant, Bistro Burger, will be opening soon. I’ve been unable to find out much info, except that they have started a Facebook page here. Hoping to have more news for you soon. If you know anything, let me know.