JACKSON, Miss. - Cultivation Food Hall, the state’s first food hall, recently announced two new vendors, Yuzu Ramen and Ariella’s Pasta Bar. Yuzu Ramen is the first true ramen concept in Mississippi, offering authentic ramen, made in-house by owner and chef, Connor Mize. Ariella’s Pasta Bar is a new concept by Chef Alivia Ashburn-Townsend, to follow her first venture in the food hall, Ariella’s New York Delicatessen.
Ariella’s Pasta Bar
With her next concept, Ariella’s Pasta Bar, Chef Alivia Ashburn-Townsend offers classic, Italian dishes made with fresh ingredients and the simplicity that makes Italian food comforting. At the pasta bar, diners can build their own pasta dish or choose from classic pasta dishes such as Chicken Alfredo and Pasta Primavera, or house-made meatballs over pappardelle. The menu includes other Italian favorites such as tiramisu; a selection of salads and pasta salad; and a kids menu.
“Providing guests with the opportunity to build their own favorite pastas means we have the opportunity to please everyone,” said Ashburn-Townsend.
A self-proclaimed kid at heart, she calls the house-made Italian cream soda her favorite menu item, recalling, “It takes me mentally to a period of time of simplicity, with neighborhood soda shops and diners. My favorite food item is the red wine braised pork and pappardelle for two reasons. First, the slow braised pork packs a ton of depth and flavor, and the second reason is the house made pappardelle pasta. It melts in your mouth. This dish will take you back to Nonna’s house.”
Ashburn-Townsend is excited to be serving one of her favorite cuisines. "I decided to change concepts because I had given the people what they wanted,” she said. “I felt it was time to give them what I love to prepare. This is my opportunity to give them me."
For additional updates on Ariella’s Pasta Bar, follow @ariellaspastabar.
Yuzu Ramen
From Chef Connor Mize is Yuzu Ramen, the first true ramen concept in Mississippi. Mize says, “we take a lot of pride in being one of the very few shops in the region that make their own noodles by hand rather than outsourcing to some big company. We try to be as authentic as possible while at the same time trying to appeal to our western demographic.”
The Yuzu Ramen Menu is centered around Mize’s house-made Ramen bowls with vegan, gluten free and build-your-own-bowl options, as well as his signature Yuzu Bowl: pork belly, garlic, yuzu, soy, marinated egg and bamboo shoots. Mize offers a selection of buns—chicken, beef, pork or veggie served with your choice of Togarashi Mayo or Hoisin BBQ.
Mize has honed his ramen-making throughout his career as a chef, stating, “Ramen originated in China as lomein then over several generations the Japanese took it and made it into the art form it is today. It is unique in Japanese cooking because there isn’t a written in stone set of dogmatic rules governing how it’s made like sushi and kaiseki, or other styles of Japanese cuisine. That’s why I love it so much. It’s so free form.”
For more on Yuzu Ramen follow @yuzujackson.
Ariella’s Pasta Bar and Yuzu Ramen are open in Cultivation Food Hall, Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cultivation Food Hall showcases a carefully curated collection of eight boutique restaurant concepts and a classic, craft cocktail bar including Ariella’s Pasta Bar, Atlas, Bocca Pizzeria, Fête au Fête, Gold Coast Bar, Il Lupo Coffee, Poké Stop, Whisk Crêperie and Yuzu Ramen.
For vendors, the food hall represents the ultimate platform to grow a food brand and build consumer exposure. 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, MS 39211. The food hall offers complimentary Wi-Fi, a dedicated event space, and both indoor and outdoor seating.