JACKSON, Miss. —Cultivation Food Hall, the state’s first food hall, will open this summer in The District at Eastover and recently announced their first four vendors: Fete au Fete, Local Honey, Poké Stop, and Whisk, a crêperie by La Brioche. These vendors represent four of the eight food and beverage concepts that will open in the food hall, in addition to a classic cocktail bar.
Cultivation Food Hall will showcase a carefully curated collection of boutique restaurant concepts:
Fete au Fete StrEATery: Fete au Fete StrEATery will serve upscale Southern comfort food with a Louisiana twist. Think Hot Muffulettas, The Original Crawfish Poutine, or Shrimp and Grits, with house-made fresh sausage, poached eggs, or “trash grits” on the side. Fete au Fete is the brainchild of celebrated chef and long-time food truck advocate, Chef Micah Martello.
"Street food is real food,” said Chef Martello. “There is something special about creating an amazing dish and handing it directly to the person who is going to enjoy it. This is why we have abandoned our fine dining roots and taken to the streets, back to the heart and soul of cooking. Our food trucks, food hall locations, and intimate-style catering allow us to connect what we love most, our food and our customers."
Local Honey: Local Honey is a new concept by Chef Micah Martello that he calls, “healthy food, redefined.” Expect a new take on salads, steel cut oats or quinoa bowls, smoothies, and the millennial favorite, avocado toast.
Poké Stop: Poké is fresh, healthy, and innovative, and often considered the next generation of sushi. Poké Stop uses only high-quality ingredients, allowing guests to customize a sushi roll in a bowl. Poké Stop is the creation of California native, turned Mississippian, Rachel Phuong, who calls her dishes, “Hawiian with a Japanese flair.”
"No matter where my career takes me, I've always had a passion for food and I knew it would be something I'm destined to do,” said Phuong. “When I heard that the first food hall in all of Mississippi is coming to Jackson, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Food halls are the new hot spots for upscale, hip, trendy cuisines. I love the food hall culture and how diverse it is. There is something for everyone!”
Whisk, a Crêperie by La Brioche: The team behind Jackson’s favorite French bakery, La Brioche, introduces “Whisk,” a crêperie that creates authentic French crepes in a variety of savory and sweet combinations.
“Staying true to the French culinary techniques acquired by our co-owner and Pastry Chef Alejandra Mamud, we continue our mission to share our culinary roots from Europe and South America with the Jackson community by creating these highly versatile delicacies,” said co-owner Cristina Lazzari.
Whisk will serve savory crepes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner made with the traditional, nutty flavored and gluten-free buckwheat flour filled and topped with traditional French ingredients such as ham and Gruyere, or Italian influenced such as prosciutto with figs, arugula, and balsamic. However, some creations are inspired by local ingredients and recipes.
“Although we want to stay true to the origins of crepes and our roots, we currently live in Mississippi so we want our creations to reflect the rich local culture as well,” said Lazzari.
Guests of Cultivation Food Hall will also enjoy sweet crepes at Whisk, featuring classics like The Suzette as well as fresh fruit-filled crepes topped with the artisanal gelato crafted by La Brioche. Some of the most popular desserts from La Brioche will also be featured at Whisk.
For vendors, the food hall represents the ultimate platform to grow a food brand and build consumer exposure. Far from the food courts of yesteryear, food halls offer a mix of chef-driven concepts in one location where diners can expect a variety of artisanal, often upscale dining options and overall first-rate experience. Food halls are a fierce trend in the U.S. restaurant industry that is turning to a mainstay. Drawing on the tradition of European food halls, the American take on the food hall first appeared in major cities such as San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, but more recently have opened in cities across the Southeast such as Birmingham, Charleston, Atlanta, Dallas, and Raleigh.
Cultivation Food Hall is being developed in consultation with St. Roch Market. A pioneer among the food hall craze, St. Roch Market opened in a historic New Orleans building in 2014. Zagat has called St. Roch Market an “absolute must visit” and Travel and Leisure called it “one of the world’s best food halls.” Their formula has worked so well, St. Roch Market will soon expand to Miami, Nashville, and a second New Orleans location in the Warehouse District.
Cultivation Food Hall will be located on the ground floor of the BankPlus Building and will include both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a dedicated event space. Construction on the food hall is planned to start this month. Design of the space will be led by Canizaro Cawthon Davis of Jackson.
Those interested in becoming a vendor at Cultivation Food Hall should visit cultivationfoodhall.com and fill out a vendor application.
ABOUT ST. ROCH MARKET
St. Roch Market is an integrated culinary and retail platform originating in the Southern U.S. It is inspired by the pre-prohibition era food markets that offered dining, shopping and entertainment in a single experience. Each market is a curated program of heritage chef-centric concepts, set before a large audience of taste-driven consumers. The flagship store in New Orleans, Louisiana features 12 food and beverage purveyors within a historical market structure originally constructed in 1875. Together, the purveyors represent the finest amalgamation of culinary start-up talent who have come together to offer an integrated culinary experience. St. Roch was quickly recognized in the national media as a “top 10” food hall destination. Learn more about St. Roch at strochmarket.com.
ABOUT THE DISTRICT AT EASTOVER
The District at Eastover represents the best of mixed-use urban revitalization in the heart of Mississippi’s capital city. Conveniently located between Jackson’s historic Eastover and Fondren neighborhoods and adjacent to the I-55 corridor and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, The District offers a transformative destination characterized by boutique shopping, acclaimed restaurants, thoughtfully planned office space and luxury residential living opportunities. Learn more about The District at thedistrictateastover.com.