fbpx

Monday Meditations with Wine – 4/11/22 Hunter Evans

~

Monday Meditations with Wine – 4/11/22 Hunter Evans

In the month of April Chuck is featuring chefs from the south. Bringing attention to movers and shakers in the culinary and hospitality world. Monday Meditations with Wine provides a behind-the-curtains look at the rich and diverse culinary, beverage, and hospitality professionals and culture in the South.

On the next episode of Monday Meditations with Wine, Chuck will be interviewing the executive chef/owner of all-day café Elvie’s located in the Belhaven Town Center. Hunter is a Jackson hometown boy who went to culinary school and cut his teeth in kitchens around New York City before returning home in 2015. Like many others of his generation, it took leaving to bring out his appreciation for where he grew up. “Getting rooted in Southern food and moving away made me miss it,” but when Hunter came back to Mississippi to cook, he wanted to showcase the South differently.

After Hunter graduated from Jackson Academy in 2008, he went on to the University of Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management in 2012. He then moved to New York and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, completing his associate degree in culinary arts in 2014. While working towards his associate degree, he staged at restaurants like Le Bernardin, Café Boulud, and other notable New York restaurants. While working for Danny Meyer at North End Grill, New York Times food critic Pete Wells wrote a glowing review for the restaurant. In May 2015 Hunter moved back to Jackson, Mississippi with the intent to marry his now-wife, Mary Kathryn. He began working at Lou’s Full Serv in the Belhaven Neighborhood of Jackson in June of 2015. Within a year, he was promoted to Sous chef and eventually took to the role of Chef de Cuisine. In July 2019 Hunter took part and was crowned the King of Mississippi Seafood at the 16th Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in Louisiana, which is sponsored by Louisiana Seafood and the James Beard Foundation. In January 2020 Hunter opened his first restaurant, Elvie’s. Elvie’s offers a modern take on classic French cuisine through the lenses of southern ingredients and traditions providing an intimate and unique experience for the guests. Hunter has enjoyed forging a network of relationships with the Mississippi farmers where he showcases the beautiful ingredients at Elvie’s.

Elvie’s which is named for his late grandmother Elvie Good is indeed a divergent from the general restaurant scene in Jackson, which leans toward classic, comforting, heavier Southern food. It’s no surprise he faced some skepticism before opening Elvie’s doors in January 2020, weeks before the pandemic began. Hunter went so far as to say he was creating a restaurant that would make people feel like they weren’t in Jackson, introducing concepts such as a natural wine list, seven-course tasting menu, and even escargot (yep, snails). But the irony of this big-city-in-a-small-town philosophy is that at its essence, Elive’s provides the ultimate sense of place through the plate.

 

So, tune in this Monday and catch Hunter Evans on Monday Meditations with Wine on Facebook Live at 6 PM.

Watch Live on BRAVO!’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BRAVOBuzz
Watch the replay:

You can read more about Hunter Evans at the following Links:

https://www.elviesrestaurant.com/

https://www.northsidesun.com/front-page-slideshow-news-features/hunter-evans-chef-de-cuisine#sthash.ZRoMmamh.dpbs

Travel by Tastebuds: Elvie’s in Jackson

Hunter Evans

https://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2019/oct/01/hunter-evans/

How One Mississippi Chef Makes Farmers the Star of the Show at Upscale Elvie’s Restaurant

Tags:



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


- Sign up for our Bravo Buzz Newsletter! -

Get Exclusive Deals, Specials & More

Gather. Relax. Savor.

We have proudly served delicious Italian food in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere in the heart of Jackson since 1994. And with 27+ years of Wine Spectator awards, our wines are just as good as our food.

Connect with BRAVO!

 Phone: (601) 982-8111

 Social Media:     

 Email: info@bravobuzz.com

4500 Interstate 55 Frontage Rd, Highland Village Suite 244, Jackson, MS 39211

© 1994 - 2024 Mangia Bene Restaurant Management Group Inc. All Rights Reserved.

All Photos Courtesy of Tom Beck Photography. All Rights Reserved.