Monday Meditations with Wine – Isaiah Zay Jones Posted on June 23, 2022 by brandis Monday Meditations with Wine is a weekly live interview series on BRAVO!’s Facebook page highlighting beverage and hospitality professionals and their individual efforts to grow and evolve Southern Hospitality Industry. We are all about community and getting to know our neighbors, so grab a glass of wine and join us every Monday at 6 PM on BRAVO!’s Facebook Page! For the month of June, each guest will have one very important thing in common, they are Fathers. Chuck will focus on how they are able to balance their jobs, families, passions, and life while navigating fatherhood. On this Monday’s episode, Chuck will be interviewing Isaiah “Zay” Jones. Isaiah “Zay” Jones is a sommelier in OKC. He is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and earned his MBA at Oklahoma Christian University. As the buyer and floor Somm at Mahogany Prime in Downtown OKC, Zay shows enthusiasm and passion for educating his staff and enhancing the wine culture in OKC. In addition to being one of Oklahoma’s brightest emerging beverage professionals, he is a father of two. He balances his career aspirations and family all while maintaining his “skinny-buff” physique by playing basketball and intense workouts. Not without a sense of humor though if you need a dose of joy while scrolling find him on Instagram @zaysensei for humor in wine and maybe catch him spending some quality time with the family! « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
Monday Meditations with Wine – David Krog Posted on June 16, 2022 by brandis Monday Meditations with Wine is a weekly live interview series on BRAVO!’s Facebook page highlighting beverage and hospitality professionals and their individual efforts to grow and evolve Southern Hospitality Industry. We are all about community and getting to know our neighbors, so grab a glass of wine and join us every Monday at 6 PM on BRAVO!’s Facebook Page! For the month of June, each guest will have one very important thing in common, they are Fathers. Chuck will focus on how they are able to balance their jobs, families, passions, and life while navigating fatherhood. This week’s guest is David Krog from Memphis, TN. Chef Dave Krog has been rooted firmly in the Memphis culinary scene since 1992. He began an apprenticeship under Lynn Kennedy at La Tourelle where he later became Sous Chef. David went on to be Executive Chef at Madidi in Clarksdale, MS, but in 2005, returned to TN and since has held positions at Bari, The Tennessean, Erling Jensen’s, and as Executive Chef at Interim. Krog considers himself a Neo Traditionalist. Working in direct correlation with local farms he honors the farmer in every step of the process to produce the highest quality meal for guests. Krog’s food is technique-driven contemporary southern cuisine. He has achieved national recognition and a fan-base with a 20-year history. Chef Krog and Amanda, his business partner and wife, help build culinary communities- from fine dining restaurants such as the highly anticipated Dory, coming to Brookhaven Circle this winter, to community efforts like the 275 Food Project which houses the GroundUp Initiative. Their focus is on local food sourcing, diversifying kitchens with young food entrepreneurs of color, and creating positive social experiences. Through leadership, with heart and soul behind what he does, Chef Dave Krog teaches and grows aspiring chefs- with the hopes of them becoming talented, compassionate team members that will ensure change in the industry standard. « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
Monday Meditations with Wine – Tiffany Bobbs Rescheduled for 5/23/22 Posted on May 13, 2022May 19, 2022 by brandis Due to technical difficulties, we had to reschedule Tiffany Bobbs interview on Monday Meditations with Wine to Monday, May 23rd. Monday Meditations with Wine is a weekly live interview session on BRAVO!’s Facebook page highlighting hospitality, culinary, and beverage industry professionals from the American South. This weekly series is meant to shine a light on the enthusiastic, passionate, professionals in the south blazing trails in their respective fields. We are telling the stories of the south’s brightest in the hospitality industry. For the month of May, each guest will have one very important thing in common, they are Mothers. Chuck will focus on how they are able to balance their jobs, families, passions, and life while navigating motherhood. This Monday Chuck will have the very talented Tiffany Bobbs Wine Director and Sommelier, Mom, and more. Tiffany began working in the hospitality industry during college in 1999. The restaurant schedule worked around her college pre-med courses, and she worked her way from the host stand to the server floor to behind the bar, and eventually, to management. Her first job at Char Restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi, formed the basis of Tiffany’s wine knowledge. Training classes and coworkers pushed Tiffany to dive into Char’s wine lists and really learn the foundation of the wine world. Soon, a desire to start a family and focus on them instead of her studies led Tiffany to change college majors, which allowed her more hours in the restaurant. After the birth of her daughter, instead of jumping back into the professional public relations world that she now had a degree in, Tiffany fell in love with the industry that had supported her for the past seven years. Tiffany became a full-time hospitality industry employee. Tiffany moved from Char Restaurant to Tico’s Steakhouse as a bartender where the world of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was prominent. Tiffany soon moved to Table 100 in Flowood, Mississippi, which was owned and operated by my former Char Restaurant bosses. As first a bartender and then a floor manager, Tiffany fell even more deeply in love with wine and how it was constantly changing and could transform a dinner. Tiffany sat for her Introductory Sommelier Exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2015 and passed. Tiffany became wine director for Table 100 and implemented a Cruvinet by-the-glass system, wine dinners, and featured pairings. In October of 2018, Tiffany made the move to The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen in Jackson, MS. Tiffany has enjoyed the support of owners Steven O’Neill and James Beard nominee Alex Eaton. They have allowed her full control of the wine program. Tiffany carried over her wine dinners, tasting, and employee classes. While at The Manship, they have received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2019 and the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2020. Watch Live on BRAVO!’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BRAVOBuzz « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
Monday Meditations with Wine – Jess Davenport 5/9/22 Posted on May 5, 2022 by brandis Monday Meditations with Wine is a weekly live interview session on BRAVO!’s Facebook page highlighting hospitality, culinary, and beverage industry professionals from the American South. This weekly series is meant to shine a light on the enthusiastic, passionate, professionals in the south blazing trails in their respective fields. We are telling the stories of the south’s brightest in the hospitality industry. In honor of Mother’s Day, each Monday in May each guest will have one thing in common – Motherhood. Chuck will focus on how they are able to balance their jobs, families, and life in general. This week he will have Jessica Davenport owner of Sugar Ray’s Sweet Shop. Jess is a foodie, hospitality expert, customer service enthusiast, and mental health advocate. Growing up in Jackson, MS, she has spent her entire work career in the food, beverage, and hospitality industry. Jess is the proud owner and creator of Sugar Ray’s Sweet Shop, a candy and confection store that believes in creating sweet experiences. One of these experiences was to assist in revitalizing downtown Jackson by developing a nostalgia candy store in 2016. After failed partnerships and hard times, Jess decided to close down the store and focus on building her skills. She has received her Bachelor in Business Administration in Accounting from Jackson State University and her Masters of Science in Leadership from Belhaven University also in Jackson, MS. She is a graduate of Leadership Greater Jackson and a new member of the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute. Participating on several boards in the city and community, Jess has made it her mission to create opportunities for everyone, regardless of race, status, or gender, to access good food. In March 2020, during quarantine, Jess decided to rebuild, refocus and restructure Sugar Ray’s into an e-commerce and pop-up brand. In doing so, Jess launched a cinnamon roll line that has been named the “best in town.” These rolls are hand-crafted deliciousness. All of the rolls and toppings are hand-made in-house with premium crafted extracts, spices, and toppings to bring the best cinnamon roll swirls to you wherever you are because Sugar Ray’s now ships throughout the U.S. When Jess is not in the kitchen, she is an Account Manager at The Tell Agency. Which is a full-service public relations firm specializing in social media management, content creation, copywriting & editing, feature writing, and event planning – among other things. There she assists with helping brand tell their stories. You can follow Jess Davenport and Sugar Ray’s Sweet Shop at @shop_sugarrays. « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
Monday Meditations with Wine – Ebony Jones Posted on April 27, 2022 by brandis Monday Meditations with Wine is a weekly live interview session on BRAVO!’s Facebook page highlighting hospitality, culinary, and beverage industry professionals from the American South. This weekly series is meant to shine a light on the enthusiastic, passionate, professionals in the south blazing trails in their respective fields. We are telling the stories of the south’s brightest in the hospitality industry. On the next episode of Monday Meditations with Wine Chuck will have special guest Ebony Jones – the owner of Nola D. Platters, Pants, and Peculiar Goods located in Flowood, MS, wife, and mother of daughters Harper, and Fionna. Ebony Jones is a Puckett Mississippi native and graduate of Forest Hill High School. Ebony started her foodservice career very early at the age of 14, working in her uncle’s Harvey’s Fish Hut in Pearl, MS. Ebony has taught technique classes at William Sonoma, she has also worked with Chef Alex Eaton at table 100, and as catering director at The Manship for six years. In February of 2021, she opened her own business Nola d Platters, Plants and Peculiar Goods, a catering business specializing in charcuterie, cheese, and fruit platters. But that is not all, Ebony has a keen interest in plants. It is a practice started after the death of her 4-month-old daughter Nola Demaris in 2016 from SIDS, whom she named her catering business after. To honor her, she donates a portion of each month’s proceeds to the March of Dimes foundation. So, grab your favorite glass of wine and experience southern hospitality from your living room, office, dorm room, or where ever you please every Monday at 6 PM CST. Watch Live on BRAVO!’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BRAVOBuzz Check out these links for more info on Ebony Jones https://www.visitjackson.com/blog/ebonyjones/ https://www.noladplattersms.com/our-story https://www.facebook.com/noladplatters/ Instagram: Personal – @ebby0710 Business – @nola_d_platters « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »
