JACKSON, Miss. — Cultivation Food Hall, the state’s first food hall, recently announced three additional vendors: Ariella’s NY Delicatessen, Bocca Pizzeria, and Fauna Foodworks, completing the list of nine food and beverage concepts that will open in the food hall in January. Previously announced vendors include Fête au Fête, Gold Coast Bar, Il Lupo Coffee, Local Honey, Poké Stop, and Whisk Crêperie.
Ariella’s NY Delicatessen
Ariella’s NY Delicatessen will be the only New York-style deli in the state of Mississippi. Ariella’s is committed to using only the highest-quality products, while maintaining the authentic deli cuisine and experience you might expect in the Big Apple. Owner and Chef Alivia Townsend has over 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry and has spent years planning her delicatessen. The menu will include traditional deli items such as pastrami, corn beef, matzo ball soup, and cheesecake, paired with other dishes that reflect Townsend’s own culinary influences and ideas.
“I have been ready to launch this concept based on my long-time research but it was about securing the right location,” said Townsend. “When the opportunity to become the last vendor at Cultivation Food Hall presented itself, I knew it was not only the perfect location, but also the perfect concept to incorporate a NY deli.”
Bocca Pizzeria
Simple, classic, and delicious, Bocca Pizzeria brings the tradition of classic pizza “Napoletana” to the heart of the capital city. Bocca owners Cristina and Patrik Lazzari, together with local chef, Austin Lee, embrace the custom of using the simple, yet essential elements of southern Italian cuisine—flour, mozzarella, olive oil, and tomatoes—to create traditional Neopolitan pizza. The result for patrons is authentic and delicious, reminiscent of the pizzas that were a staple in Patrik’s childhood home of Puglia, a region in the heel of the famous Italian boot.
“The word bocca is Italian for “mouth,” shared owner, Patrik Lazzari. “It is based on the simple truth that it provides both nourishment to the body and stories to share with friends and family. Bocca Pizzeria aims to provide an opportunity for both at Cultivation Food Hall.”
Fauna Foodworks
Fauna Foodworks is a premier food lab producing thoughtful, bohemian-chic cuisine by Chef Enrika Williams. Williams was raised in Mississippi, but her culinary experience includes ten years in Atlanta working under master chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Mel Toldedo, Vince Hernandez, and Richard Blais; as well as work at the Greenbrier Resort, a position as sous chef under Craig Noone at Parlor Market, an appearance on “Hotel Hell” with Chef Gordon Ramsay, and, most recently, an appearance with celebrity chef Carla Hall at the esteemed James Beard House. Her culinary travels have taken Williams across the U.S. and abroad to Rome, Orvieto, Florence and Venice, Italy. She now returns to Mississippi to share her experience through a menu of international street food that reflects her wealth of experience and influences.
Cultivation Food Hall will showcase a carefully curated collection of eight boutique restaurant concepts and a classic, craft cocktail bar. 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 dining options and craft cocktails.
Cultivation Food Hall is located on the ground floor of the BankPlus Building in The District at Eastover at 1200 Eastover Drive, Suite 125 Jackson, Miss., 39211. The food hall will offer complimentary Wi-Fi, a dedicated event space, and both indoor and outdoor seating. The food hall is slated for a January 2019 opening and will be open daily.