Jackson Jambalaya

Sad. Went their earlier this year and service had declined notably.

Patrick is a great guy and a good operator, but the restaurant business is tough. Margins are slim and overhead can be a killer. If building costs escalate there is a tendency to take a little from the labor and food costs to balance. This is what I saw at both Julep and Mint. Food and service slipped and, frankly, the metro area food scene is getting overloaded. New venues are popping up like weeds in the springtime. Older restaurants get hit hardest as people try the newcomers and volume slips. And parking and entry for Juleps was always a pain. It's a little better for Char and Bravo! but not much. I'll miss the lunch specials and burgers were great.

So, the demise is a casualty of WHAT? Location, menu, branding, greed, graft, plastic forks? What? Hamburgers with good fries? Please! Burger King was just around the corner and had a drive-thru.

3:53, Julep is a casualty of bankruptcy. Julep had always done leaps & bounds better than Mint, mainly because Julep wasn't overpriced with a haughty upscale Madison-ques feel to it, Julep felt normal and it was good food too for a moderate price! But, when Mint closed up, and then I see that the owner of Julep, who is the same owner of Mint, had to file for bankruptcy in May, I'm not that surprised. I'm sad to see Julep go, but it's matter of finances, and it's a shame that it has closed up.

Bring back Olde Time Deli!!!

Supply far exceeds demand in the metro musical chair eatery biz. Looks like they'll need to change those fancy LeFleur East maps now as one of the key Exit 100 highlightees has gone defunct.

They never should have shut down Old Tyme

Hate it for Patrick and his family. They worked hard. Added to Jackson restaurant scene's character, which is something Jackson can be proud of.

As one who use to frequent Julep... I for one hate to see it go as well... however he had lost much of his wealthy NE Jackson crowd or anyone that would be involved in the upscale scene. Patrick once told me he should've never opened Mint. Most families in that area are 2 income households unlike many of the NE Jackson families who are usually a 1 family income of large substantial. Maybe he was right after all.

It's a miracle that any individual business owner survives if he doesn't own his own building. They are responsible for all interiors and have to pay a percentage ( minimum 5%) of all sales on top of rent. And, they can have a devil of a time getting owners to keep up the exteriors.

The idea of a percentage of sales was intended to keep rents lower and give start ups a better chance but that is not what has happened.

Add to all of that, the developer/owner now gets tax dollar help on his costs so he starts making his profit very quickly.

And, we wonder why the middle class is disappearing...

Seems shortsighted of Highland Village, unless they have another restaurant tenant coming in. Hard to believe they really needed to hike the rent.

Char & Bravo still doing well ... (???).

6:25; Wrong! Julep nor anyone else is 'a casualty of bankruptcy'. Bankruptcy is a bandaid, a response to failure. One can be a casualty of the wound, but NOT a casualty of the bandaid.

Char and Bravo are doing well, but not satisfied with the new management at HV. No businesses are. Heard they're both looking to move. Albritons and Juniker are leaving.

Another Bo Bounds advertiser dies!

Like the Kelly's, but for both Julep and Mint, operator error, plain and simple. Gross mismanagement of food quality, cleanliness, staff and funds.

Anonymous at 8:17 am, Spoken like someone who only THINKS they know what's going on.

But he still has that juggernaut Madison-Ridgeland Academy.

I haven't had a good corned beef and swiss on rye since Old Tyme closed. Or split pea soup or cheese blintzes or a good knockwurst or cole slaw.
Same location would be perfect. I'm only interested if it's a real Jewish deli. No chains. Here's your chance. Anyone reading?

Anonymous at 9:16 am, Spoken like someone who only THINKS they know what's going on.

According to 7:26AM, women in NE Jackson don't work or cook.

all comes down to operations, quality, and service...all seemingly had slipped dramatically in the last 5 years at Julep, like someone just took their eye off the ball; for those of you who say they are a victim of oversupply you do not fully understand the restaurant biz or the total market volume
we used to eat there twice a week or so, stopped doing that when they stopped paying attention to the details, like restaurant cleanliness and service and food quality. it's a heck of a location, i sure hope highland village is smart enough to put a winner in there. hate the loss for the restaurant owners and their investors.

Char isn't leaving nor is bravo. Jeff Goode is committed to highland village as of recently as for Albrittons, they're building a very nice building across from highland village.

Anonymous at 9:44 am, just because a friend of a friend of your cousin's ex husband drove by here last Thursday doesn't mean you know anything about Julep's situation. You should stick to asking folks if they want fries with their burger.

Jeff is committed to Jackson, not Highland Village. And Albrittons is leaving Highland Village. Juniker is leaving Jackson.

See that the crack team over at the C-L is trolling JJ for stories this morning. You're welcome Sam.

Hell... we talk about Juniper leaving Jackson. But hell the owners live in NE Jackson so they're obviously not that pissed at the city. Same goes for Marriage. He builds everywhere in madison but lives in Jackson proper. Same with the yates family live in jackson own shops in ridgeland. Ergon in flowood family lives in jackson. So lets all stop this the sky is falling crap.

Once Mint finally shut down, some of the staff from there went to Julep. They also added staple Mint items to the Julep menu. The place was certainly on the upswing and trying hard to come back. Unfortunately all this happened too late. I hope to see Julep give it another try in the future.

11:21am....The Yates family? Did they make her husband change his name to Yates? Wouldn't surprise me. The sky fell about 20 years ago for normal people. Living in fortified compounds in Eastover and CCJ is not something that most folks can do. I don't know about Juniper, but the other 3, Marriage (I assume a spell check of Mattiace), Yates, and Lampton are all multi, multi millionaires. Mattiace would be at the bottom end of those 3, with the Lampton's actually billionaires.

Point being, just like everything else is doing....NEJ has killed its middle class.

Patrick Kelly worked as our Service Manager prior to opening Julep. Mary worked at Broad Street in the bakery. Both are exceptionally talented individuals, and they brought their "A game" when they opened Julep, then Mint, and then Mint/Julep Catering. They pushed the boundaries of American/Southern food, got a national award for their fried chicken, and really titilated the senses when they made a handgun the door pull to the Mint men's room!

They worked hard to bring their vision of dining to our town. The bakery section/take out at Julep, the bar scene, the brunch. The wood grill at Mint, outdoor kitchen and the opulence of the dining room. All cutting edge... all their best efforts.

Unfortunately, ours is a very difficult business, and there are myriads of reasons why one particular restaurant does well and another does not. Julep had 13 years under its belt... and that is a VERY LONG TIME in restaurant years.

Let's celebrate the memory of what the Kelly's provided for our market... locally owned, creatively curated experiences. My hat is off to them both.

Now, that said, let me assure a couple of the earlier posters that BRAVO! is quite happy at Highland Village and is currently in talks about how a 23 year old restaurant needs to *refresh* its look... not move. We have a long history in our space, and quite frankly, I just don't think I have it in me to learn a new floor chart or alarm code. ;-)

Some of you people, 11:50 a.m. for example, talk like business failure just sort of slips up and blindsides an owner. They weren't 'trying to make a go of it' at all. They had shitty service and poor management and slip-shop food and they knew it. They were just hoping other people wouldn't realize it.

"According to 7:26AM, women in NE Jackson don't work or cook. "

Reminds me of an old joke about "cities in China" that would undoubtedly offend some of the prudes who post here regulary.

Mr. Good:

So the rumor all over the Village that you are about to take over the space on the big courtyard where Inside Out and Old Tyme Commissary were is absolutely not true?

Love hearing your thoughts, Jeff. You are a class act, sir, and a great asset for the city of Jackson and surrounding areas.

Are your restrooms Good open to the general non-paying public? De'Keither Stamps and his pals are looking to relieve themselves and demand access to your clean John Harringtons.

So, 11:53, are you a banker inappropriately, unprofessionally and illegally accessing and commenting on the level of "multi multi" millions and billions of dollars in these families' accounts? Or are you just running your mouth and wasting everyone's time with your useless and inaccurate assumptions?

Kudos to Jeff Good, always. As for Julep, they had a perfect fried chicken recipe, but apparently changed it. When that happened we lost our main incentive for going there and for taking out. It's the little things in an arch-competitive market.

A friend used them to cater. Was a great price. Turned out to be all dark meat fried chicken. That was why the fried chicken was so cheap. Never did that again.

They probably would have made it if they served $8 pints and $31 pitchers of beer made 2 miles away.

1:37...No assumptions here, just pretty common knowledge. The Lamptons were written up in Forbes as the richest people in MS with a net worth of $1 billion. Yates has been listed as one of the top 25 contractors in the country for about two decades now, with revenues of around $2.5 billion a year, well over $3 billion at times. It would stand to reason they are multi multi millionaires. Like I said, Mattiace is not in their range, but is very very comfortable from what I have seen over the last 30 years. I am not quite sure how anything that is public knowledge would be inappropriate, unprofessional, or illegal even if I was a crook, er banker.

I was merely pointing out the fallacy of your examples. We could all live in Jackson if we could live in gated compounds with 24/7 security. It's also pretty tough to educate children when you are looking at around $15k/year/kid to do so.

Like I said, NEJ has obliterated, destroyed, suffocated, priced out, whatever the fuck you want to call it, the middle class. That is who left for Rankin and Madison. All that is left in NEJ are the creeping criminals and Oxford houses, the rich, and those pretending to be rich, drowning in debt to keep up. The faster y'all realize what has happened (the sky fell), the faster it will begin to get better. The denial is always the biggest problem with a problem.

Of course, you could always just be the neutered Yates' husband, pissed off because the original poster didn't know your name. If that is the case, I apologize.

I moved here 3 years ago from Stamford, Connecticut and so many of
you seem to revel in leading the charge for anti-Jackson sentiment and bashing.

In my 51 years, living all over the country, and employed by a national company with assignments all over the country, I have never experienced or seen such negativity regarding one's own capital city. I seriously don't get it. I cannot fathom WHY those neighbors all around spew such hate toward their neighbors in Jackson. I hate to use the "R" word, but what else can it be?

What possible motive arouses such hateful attitudes. Seems to me that if all the people spouting hate toward their own capital city, would join in the effort to improve it, as I witness at so many meetings and efforts around Jackson, the region and metro would slowly but surely improve. Have YOU become a member of "Working Together Jackson", Team Jackson, Jackson 2000, the Jackson Chamber, LEADERSHIP Jackson or ANY of the efforts attempting to improve Jackson? ANY?

I will await your spiteful, hateful response.

BTW....I live in Jackson as well and love it here. You ought to try on Stamford to compare quality of lifestyle.

Sorry, 2:51. Afraid 1:37 was right, and you're still assuming. Don't. Your reading material, "common knowledge" and observations for 30 years don't give you the picture or the $ amount on anyone's financial status but your own. Feel free to share that if you must opine. You shouldn't attempt to find fallacies within anyone else' post when yours is sliding down the slope. Nice language too.

I think there's some confusion here. I don't think anyone was attacking Jackson. My intent was to point out that there are many businesses in HV that aren't happy with the current management. Many businesses are leaving or planning on leaving or would like to leave because of rent hikes and poor decision making. The problem is with HV. Not Jackson, IMO.

Great observation from the individual from Stamford. There are more hypocritical, judgemental people in Jackson, MS than anywhere in the entire country. They thrive on gossip and 90% of them are a fucking joke. Patrick Kelly is a great guy and the gracious comments from Jeff are a refreshing example of class. Now all of you assholes throw on your pleated kakis and bring the Rebels a victory for homecoming!

3:07, Thank You!! Finally a post that makes sense! Unfortunately, it's a general rule that the mouth-breathers outnumber those with common sense in the comments section. They'll be back to educate you (a Jackson resident) about what it is like in Jackson (even if they haven't been here for years). They'll also inform you that the President is a muslim, and somehow, that his religion matters in the first place.

3:07 Did you actually re-type your entire long-winded screed from that other thread last week, or have you discoverd cut-and-paste?

Last I heard there were no locked gates on I-55, I-20, I-10, etc, keeping you locked up here.

3:07/STILL don't get it,

I, for one, have been to Stamford. New Haven, West Hartford, New London, and Danbury, too. I've spent a good amount of time (3-6 months a piece) in each of those places for my job, but I didn't live in any one of them. I commuted to and from Westchester County, NY on Metro North rail and Amtrak several times a week to those cities where my work was located. Sometimes I drove.

I found Stamford to be a fine city and wouldn't have hesitated to move there should that juncture in my professional life have come about. The quality of life seemed fine for the most part and I saw a good deal of the city, not just the parts littered with Fortune 500 companies. Sure, the taxes are high but so are the level of services one receives. It also appeared the place was run by somewhat competent administrators. Again, I didn't live there but I met plenty of people who did and liked it.

As fate would have it, my work pointed me back home in the South but I'm fortunate to have spent time in that part of the country. I really, really miss the pizza. The winters, though, I'm glad to have left behind.

That said, you bring up something I have touched upon before within these comment sections. Being a capital city does not make a great city. It merely indicates the place is home to a state's seat of government and all that entails. I've been to many of them and know the differences. They are not all on equal footing:

Some are decrepit; Trenton, Harrisburg, and some parts of Hartford come to mind.

Some are boring; Topeka, Springfield, IL, Lansing, and Jefferson City are good examples. Good Lord, stay out of Topeka.

Some are cutting edge and lots of fun; Austin, Nashville, Denver, and maybe Atlanta if you're not stuck in traffic.

A few are tiny; Montpelier, Vermont - Saaaaaalute!

Others, like Jackson, are sleepy government towns with a disproportionately high level of crime and a shrinking tax base. Montgomery, AL and Columbia, SC are among those (to be fair, though, Columbia's a good time because of the university).

While I can't speak for anybody on this blog, there are definitely feelings out there of loss, disappointment, and anger that comes when having worked hard and built something up to a certain level as a community is decimated by a good many forces outside of one's control. That's a natural reaction.

I hope this didn't come across as hateful or spiteful but merely honest.

To me, Julep peaked 2009/2010. The last few times I could really tell the quality of ingredients was going in a downward direction.

But it was a fun spot while it lasted...

3:07 There is no way to put it other than to say you have not been here long enough to understand. You're like the traveler from another country who tours a section of The South for three days and leaves as an expert on Southern culture, diet and behavior. In other words, you don't yet know shit. Come back when you've blessed us with your presence for about three years. We won't even recognize your posts then! Guaranteed.

3:36; This is how you spell Khakis. Button up them bibs.

@anonymous 12:44

RE: the courtyard - Highland Village is planning its floor plan once Albritton's moves. They have a vision of food service in the courtyard and we were happy to look at the space and consider it. We have another 2 years on our lease and we are looking at how we can refresh... all options are good... but we want to make the best decision.

So, no plans to move... BUT... I am curious... what do you, and others, think about a change in location for BRAVO!? moving down to the courtyard? Would you find that appealing?

Pros and Cons welcome! Y'all are the guest... let us know.

Guess I got off-topic, no?


Sorry to hear such a great place closing shop. I've taken out-of-towners there on several occasions and all were impressed. The restaurant biz is a tough one, so I hope the floor staff and back of house folks can find work quickly.

I don't. I use your take out window quite a bit. Your location is so convenient. You get off the interstate, boom, you park right there and walk in. The outside tables are nice and its covered. Renovating or remodeling I can understand but the actual location is a good one. Very good access from two different sides. Don't screw it up. The bar isn't too much different than it was in the 90's. Facelift there may not be a bad idea.

5:14 and 5:24. Thank you for making my point. An honest opinion is not obsession. I have noticed absolute obsession on this site, with people trashing the people that CHOOSE (read that carefully...choose) to live here, and so many that proudly do so.

Again I ask: What are you that are continually trashing your capital city doing to improve it? I realize 3 years is not an eternity, but I also realize that 3 YEARS is long enough the have a pretty decent opinion.

As a "Yankee", I again ask of this is a case of covert racism you are simply able to get off your chest, anonymously?

I see it very few places, in my 3 wonderful years in this underappreciated, adopted state of mine, except right here.

Jeff... I eat at your restaurant fairly often for dinner. I really like the lighting and maybe an update on the decor other than that leave it as is.

BUT... I am curious... what do you, and others, think about a change in location for BRAVO!?

Against it Jeff. Like the currect space. Update that. Have entertained many an out-of-town client at your current location. You bring them in, it has a nice feel, then they get to easily depart. The connection is clean on both ends. Business meals like that. Your gut feel on the location was right the first time. If you absolutely have to expand then talk to Teddy and go to The District.

If you move Bravo downstairs your customers are going to have to fight to find a place to park. You are in the perfect spot at Highland Village with access to the upper level parking.

Regarding Bravo - I love the location too. Definitely time for a refresh, though. Same location, some new on the inside - can't wait to visit.

"I see it very few places, in my 3 wonderful years in this underappreciated, adopted state of mine, except right here."

You've been here in Mississippi for three years and you can't find racism anywhere except on JJ?!?!?

You really have no credibility whatsoever now.

Mr Good, thank you for being willing to wade through the cesspool of comments on JJs blog, and provide us with some truth and perspective.

To the "Yankee" asking about the motivation behind the bitter comments on this blog. It's absolutely racism in its most ugly form. Jackson used to be owned and run by whites, and the "coloreds" did manual labor and "knew their place." When all that began to change, the anger and bitterness of those in power made itself known, and continues to make itself known. They feel that Jackson was some kind of birthright which was stolen from them. And as a result they would rather cut their own throats of that means that the blacks in Jackson will fail.

So they vote for politicians that go against their own interests, as long as they spew the right buzzwords about states rights and heritage not hate. They spend tens of thousands to send their kids to private schools that don't test any better than Madison Central or Murrah, only for their kids to end up at Ole Miss which pretty much anytime can get into. And there's no regional plan, because that would mean they might have to work with those coloreds. Instead they do what they can to steal businesses from each other, instead of trying to grow the region.

That's Jackson in a nutshell. It's not rational, but hate never is.

Jeff, I really like bravo where it is. We go there frequently and there's not much I would change. Maybe jazz up the seating area on the bar side if anything.

6:28 in my day to day living, I see much less racism here than anywhere in New England. Period. In fact, other than crazies on the news, in MY day to day living, I see very little. Not in my neighborhood, which has diversity, I see very little. Sorry if that answer doesn't please you. I am talking about the kind of racism I read here every single day. I find people here, at the grocery store, gas stations, meetings, whatever, much more racially genteel than Connecticutt. Except here. If that answer is not your answer, then it is just that.

Y'all stop being rude to Stamford. 3:07, I don't get it either and am sorry you found your way to this site. They don't get out much and get nasty when they can't find a rational argument or think of a comeback. Welcome to Mississippi and to Jackson. I live in Jackson as well and am involved with several of the groups you mention. I see the metro as one big place, and frequent Madison County and make the very O-ccasional trip to Rankin. But the Capitol needs and deserves respect and support. The bashing needs to stop.

Jeff - agree on keeping your current location with a little updating. Visibility plus your own parking lot can't be beat in that area.

Mr. Good:

One culinary correction....Julep did not give us "their" fried chicken. Derek Emerson briefly joined with Julep and saved it by adding his menu items...one of them...Derek's chicken.

That said...it is a shame they are not going to be around....loved the Sunday brunch and their waitstaff was second to none.

Now, regarding BRAVO! moving? I think you need to move it to Madison ASAP. Get one biz to where there is growth.....and slowly look forward to shuttering Sal and Mookies and Broadstreet as the times change and your product is not relevant to the demographic.

@ anonymous 7:48

Thank you for reminding me about Derek Emerson's connection to Julep. I had indeed forgotten that. He is a culinary master, so it does not surprise me at all that he was the creator of the rosemary chicken. Patrick and Mary's vibe with Derek's food.. that is a powerful one-two punch!

As for the comment about needing to leave Jackson to remain "relevant", I could not disagree more. We have found nothing but incredible, authentic support from all people of our city - facts are, people love good food regardless of their color, creed or religion. Our goal from day one has been to serve a quality product in inviting environments served by people who care. That formula is universal in its attraction... in fact, it is quite "relevant to ANY demographic".

So I thank you for the idea, but Dan and I are happy with our choices... as are the 205 people who work with us each day. Working TOGETHER Works, and that is what we try to do each and every day.

I hope you will continue to enjoy our places, they are here for you and all others who wish to experience our brand of hospitality.

- Jeff Good

Jeff, Bravo's has got the best location in Jackson. Do me one favor. Try to have a nice grilled piece of Redfish, with a simple but wonderful fish sauce like the Mayflowers so I don't ever have to go down there again.

Mr. Good, I like other people on here, agree that you should stay where you are, and just do some updating and renovations on the inside! I love the outdoor seating overlooking downstairs, & the parking can't be beat! Me & my fiancé love us some BRAVO! :)

Thank you 7:14, Yankee or not. The rednecks on this commentating blog ruin it. You have to wade through them to get real discourse. They must hate life. Or just can't deal with it.

Just emailed Harper and Bennie to request that Congress bailout Julep.

Really? The prices were a joke! My wife and I ate there and I felt like I should have been given a hooker for the BS prices.

PittPanther frequently jumps in with both feet in his mouth to admonish the proletariat here on this blog. So, the ills of Jackson are to be blamed on disgruntled white people who use to 'own' the town and now that black folk 'own' the town, it's racism that has decimated the place? As if lack of work ethic, sloth, filth, crime and poor choices play/played no role?

What an odd commentary on history to date. Some might call it bullshit. I do.

And to the harpies who insist that one's 'capital city' should be viewed/revered as some sort of shining star in the east, where does that wrong-headed notion come from? As was stated elsewhere (above), the town just happens to be currently where most of the government offices are located and where we choose to house ole stuff, like career politicians. Jackson is not Mecca. The capital city could just as easily be Ecru.

7:48...
Your obviously not familiar with the typical clientele that Mr. Good recieves at Bravo.
Nor are you familiar with the NE Jackson crowd in general. Most of the wealth that can afford to eat well at Bravo is residing in NE Jackson as well. Not madison. Most of the development in madison is built by residents of NE Jackson. Madison is mainly middle class while rhis area is largely family money or well off upper class. That being said... Jeff Goode is a resident of Fondren a neighborhood in the city and he is greatly appreciated.

Stamford is a shithole. As are most places in Connecticut. The countryside is beautiful in places, but the towns and cities are ugly as hell. (The ladies are pretty much dogs too.)

If Stamford is such a cultural mecca, why is the population dropping. and why are businesses and citizens leaving the state in droves? Probably has to do with the exorbitant tax rate and liberal politicians.

It never ceases to amaze me how outsiders, especially yankees, presume to understand and analyze the south.

Hilarious that the Stamford, CT harpy thinks that somehow their former place of residence (and age of 51 years) somehow connotes some sort of authority.

Get over yourself.

5:34 AM

Its because Im aware of Jackson and its dining habits that I recommended Mr Good to move a location north.

If you notice from my original comment...I was aware how Julep provided its chicken..thats called "aware."

There is no doubt Mr Good and his team provide excellent service and products. That is not up to debate.

The issue at hand is the future. What does it hold.

My opinion (and is just that) is that rather than having millions in one basket its best to spread it over a larger geographic area...especially where there are 2 heads of households working and raising children. Great pasta and pizza go hand in hand with what is happening in Madison.

As to your comments regarding "who" builds wht where. So what? Islander just shut down too. Great people...bad location.

There is a demogtaphic more consistent with dining out available in Madison is the only point I am making.

Just watch and see what transpires.

All hail King Jeff.

As a NE Jackson stay hold and heir of boat loads of family money, I enjoy taking my family to get greasy pizza, overpriced beer, and all the trendy desserts one could imagine at Sal and Mookies. I throw $20s out at the bums on Lakeland on the way home to my estate in Eastover. Crime problem? Who cares when you have a moat. It worked in the middle ages didn't it?

Sincerely,
A wealthy, upper, upper class NE Jackson, Lefleur East resident.

Well, at least now you don't have to worry about that bartender named Brad padding your bill with drinks you didn't order or Newcastle rather than a Coors light. I for one couldn't stomach that guy.

5:34, please discover the difference between 'your' and 'you're'. And instead of "Most of the wealth that can afford to eat well at Bravo is residing...", did you mean "Most of the wealthy who can afford to eat well at Bravo are residing..."?

Frankly, it's hard to dissect all that's wrong with what you wrote. Your syntax is bizarre, and you seem not to have discovered commas. This leads me to suspect that you are not qualified to distinguish between upper class people and middle class people. "...family money or well off upper class." What?

In any event, the only difference, class-wise, between the people of FFNEJ, and the people of Madison, is that those in Formerly Fashionable Northeast Jackson have not moved, YET.

Jeff, could you give us an honest assessment of the situation between business owners/HV renters and HV management? The word is that there is overwhelming dissatisfaction that is leading to attrition and enmity. This isn't a knock on Jackson. If true, this might mean that out of town management companies don't understand the culture of business here.

I see it very few places, in my 3 wonderful years in this underappreciated, adopted state of mine, except right here.

Then move along because anonymously you change NOTHING. If you don't like the fare here then feel free to frequent an online locale more to your liking. The power is yours to choose. Otherwise all you are doing is trolling.

3:07 pm Those of us who have lived elsewhere rather than just visited other places in a work capacity or as a tourist, agree with you completely.

Bless their hearts, they don't get why that distinction is important.

It's more than racism as that exists throughout the South and the Nation to varying extents. Though, I'll admit, it was stunning to find racism in well-educated Southerners from a good families to be racist. In the rest of South, racism is limited to rednecks with a smattering of newly rich joining in. That's understandable as those are the most insecure and most threatened by any increased competition socially or monetarily.

You just don't find the lack of State pride and loyalty in the rest of the South, even among racists, that you do here.

There seems to be to me an " us vs. them" mentality that has infected every facet of life here and it can be found in the African American community as well. It makes the co-operation needed to advance the State nearly impossible.

It's heartbreaking because Mississippians are individually some of the smartest, kindest, most decent. most talented people you can find. And, there are successful Mississippians who are trying to make changes in the State's best interest who are attacked here. The Mannings seem bullet proof so far ( despite Archie's stance on the flag )but others from Good to Grisham are bashed regularly.

Like us, the Mannings have lived elsewhere and know Mississippi's problems are solvable if we all work together. They know what a beautiful State we are in and how beautiful our capitol city is and that it has the potential to literally be the finest capitol city in the Nation.

If only we could get the insecure and mean spirited and bullies among us to just hush up and stop cutting off their nose to spite their faces! Really, people, no one looks down on you until you starting spewing venom.









.

Thank you Mr Good for your positive and encouraging spirit. I took my first date to BRAVO 18 years ago. The current location is second to none for all of the previously mentioned reasons, besides, what other eatery in our area enjoys the unique feature of the drive thru beneath the main dining room? Regardless of our thoughts on your group's food, pricing and respective atmospheres, your constant energy is undeniably valuable.

Julep was too loud.

I live in NE Jackson, and no, I don't live in Eastover. We are not "wealthy" and we don't have "family money." We work hard, and we are a two-earner household. We can afford to live wherever we want in the Metro area, be it Eastover or any neighborhood in Ridgeland, Madison, Flowood, Brandon, etc. Every few years or so, we start to wonder...should we move to Madison or Rankin like so many already have? So, we get in our car, and we drive all around Madison and Rankin counties, searching and comparing. In the end, we always decide to stay put in Jackson...because we LIKE IT here. We prefer it, for so many reasons. Sure, there are some nice places to live in the surrounding suburbs. We have many family members who choose to live out there, all in great neighborhoods. Some are choosing to stay, but some are looking to move back to NE Jackson. We have several friends who've already moved back, for various reasons. I know for a fact that there are several houses in my neighborhood that have been bought by folks moving back in from Madison over the past few years.

I'm not downing Madison or Rankin. As I said, there are some nice places to live out there, and I can understand why some would make that choice, especially if private school is not an option. However, my NE Jackson neighborhood, which again, is not Eastover (for those who mistakenly think Eastover is the only good neighborhood in Jackson), is also a very nice place to live, and we CHOOSE to live here.

I love so many things about Madison and Rankin counties. I also dislike many things about them. I love so many things about Jackson. I also dislike many things about it. In the end, my family chooses Jackson, because for us, the pros outweigh the cons. When you choose to live in Jackson, you do it knowing you're going to have to deal with some issues. But guess what...if you choose to live in Madison or Rankin, you're going to have to deal with issues as well. No place is perfect, but you make your choice, and decide to be happy with it and do whatever you can do to contribute and make it better, if you can. A shining example of that is Jeff Good.

One last thing...whenever I see or hear someone making such a big deal about how "great" they've got it and how "bad" other people have it somewhere else...I begin to think thou doth protest too much...

Did you score @8:36 AM?

@ 8:06 anonymous re: the relationship of Highland Village management to its tenants

Thank you for flat out asking. However, *spoiler alert* I am just one tenant. I certainly cannot authentically (nor necessarily correctly) speak for any other tenants, singular or in total.

From where I sit, this is a classic example of the free enterprise market at work. An asset was found by a company who wanted to buy it. They did. They had to create new debt/equity WHATEVER to buy it. The family they bought it from (The Fowlers) had LONG PAID FOR the asset.... so the rent rolls/expenses of the OLD MODEL (Fowler) is not the rent roll and the expenses of the NEW MODEL (WS Development) Simply put, the new company has a huge debt/equity play they have to address... and then there is the remodeling expenses. And the cost of building the Whole Foods (part of their work when they first bought the center). So they have to cover their costs. This means, yes, rent is going up. And it is approaching the same levels as suburban markets like Renaissance and Highland Colony Parkway or Dogwood Place. Or the new District now under construction @ Eastover.

Higher rents do impact the tenants... significantly. So each tenant is making a decision not unlike the title of the famous song by The Clash: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?".

Some tenants are moving... moving to a new landlord OR becoming their own landlord by building their own building. Some tenants are closing... maybe the rent is the cause, but I really think other factors are involved and the rent may be the "final straw". (not the cause, just the last piece of info they needed to close).

And then other tenants (and here is where I CAN speak with some authority... because I am talking about us) are working collaboratively with the new management company and trying to vision what a best-in-class solution could be for a 23-year old restaurant located in a premium spot in the metro Jackson marketplace. Yes, we are TRYING to figure out how to remodel without having signifiant downtime. We have a full two years on our current lease, so we are WAY ahead of the game.

I really am empowered by the all the positive comments about BRAVO! in this thread when I asked about our location. The JJ straw poll is 100%... BRAVO! should stay where it is. How nice to know that each of you feel the exact same way as my high school best friend and partner of over two decades, Dan Blumenthal, and I feel. We agree. As does each and every one of our management team.

We all love Highland Village, we love our "drive through under pass" :-) and we love our walk up to go window.

So, let's keep the conversation going. You can reach us at jeffg@bravobuzz.com or danb@bravobuzz.com. Give us your thoughts.. your ideas... feedback is how we make decisions... and your feedback is invaluable.

- Jeff

@ the anonymous poster 9:36 asking if the earlier poster talking about taking a date to BRAVO! "scored"... I must tell you a funny. I have a few guests that claim table 64... the Northeast corner window table is "the lucky table".

Just sayin'....

Can we make a reservation specifically for Table 64 Jeff?

Some are choosing to stay, but some are looking to move back to NE Jackson.



### Metro Ad Valorem Millage Rates (2013-2014) ###

Jackson = 178.80 mils

Edwards = 150.33 mils

Clinton = 147.76 mils
Canton = 144.84 mils

Bolton = 139.63 mils
Byram = 137.43 mils
Terry = 131.18 mils

---> AVERAGE = 131.0625 mils <---

Raymond = 128.95 mils
Pearl = 128.18 mils
Flora = 126.18 mils
Madison = 121.48 mils

Brandon = 118.66 mils
Ridgeland = 112.70 mils
Florence = 112.56 mils

Flowood = 109.66 mils
Richland = 108.66 mils

*INCLUDES City, County & School District

9:22. Thank you. I live on Jiggetts Road, right east of Maywood Mart. Retired, financially comfortable for the rest of my life (ie: I can move if I want to), and I CHOOSE TO LIVE right here in NE Jackson. Not wealthy by any stretch, but comfortable.

I am probably too old to be reading and keeping up with JJ, but I do, and remain confused regarding those that trash my life choices, especially when my choices don't affect theirs. Why the hatred toward my decisions? Why the ridicule of all of us in Lefleur East, joining together in an honest attempt to improve our neighborhood?

Rhetorical question actually. Stamford hit the nail on the head.

Patrick was not an operator, he was an owner that walked around in flip flops, if there was a need for help in the kitchen or wherever you could forget about him helping out. as for finances, his father n law covered the losses every month they were open so sonny could have a respectable job and once divorced saw no need to subsidise any longer. patrick had to truly operate a business it sank like a rock lesson : if you open a business you have to work it, work at it and work for it, not walk around in flip flops 2 weeks after you open the doors and act like you've accomplished something. I saw this coming after my first visit to julep,the owner had no work ethic.

Nobody is questioning your life choices or your decisions 10:54 AM. YOU ARE ANONYMOUS.

10:36 about 10 years ago you made your point. We get it. Jackson has higher taxes. I live here and I don't give a shit. We pay more to live here. Sorry you can't afford it.

#WEGETIT

Now use some other argument to tell me how stupid I am to WANT to live in Jackson. I save $3.00 a day in gasoline because of my 8 minute commute to my job. $3 x 5 days x 50 weeks = $750, plus 1 hour a day at $200 / hour = $10,000 not in a GD car driving and waiting.

Get another argument or STFU.

Jeff, stay right where you are, please.

Jeff.......if you are still reading..........you have the best tomato basil soup on the planet........don't change anything about it. It's perfect.

Jeff, one more vote for stay where you are. Love the to go window and easy parking. A few new menu items for those of us who have eaten there frequently for many years might be nice.

$200/hour? ROFLMAO

10:54; Nobody is questioning your life choices. By your own admission, you're an old man. Or, alternatively, an old woman. If you were a young man or woman with school aged children and enjoyed jogging and long neighborhood walks, shopped regularly at a large variety of venues and dined out once or twice a week plus enjoyed other types of entertainment, you would not be satisfied bundled up by the floor furnace in NE Jackson, venturing out only to buy necessities. It's not really uncommon for old people to be ok with their old digs in your area of town. On the other hand, it's not uncommon for old people to be scared as hell and get the hell out. We all make our choices, don't we?

11:52, you're hanging yourself on your own "pull rope". How OLD are you? If you make fun of someone's age, you are making fun of your own future. 10:54 is probably not old at all. Sounds logical. Probably smart too and got to retire early to enjoy their life choices. While I do take advantage of the amenities of our entire metro area, I choose to live in Jackson as well. Mind your own choices, and may you age well.

11:52, this is not 10:54. I'm a young person (30's) with school-aged children. We enjoy jogging and long walks in our neighborhood. To your apparent dismay, we enjoy these things in our wonderful NE Jackson neighborhood. We also enjoy shopping regularly at a large variety of venues, and dining out, plus other types of entertainment...all in the city of Jackson. Guess what...all of my thousands of NE Jackson neighbors, also young with school aged children, along with older, successful retirees, and along with single professionals, also enjoy doing all of these things in their NE Jackson neighborhoods and in the city of Jackson. Guess what else...a lot of my friends who live in Rankin and Madison counties also enjoy coming into Jackson to do some shopping and eating and to attend the occasional low-key social gatherings at our NE Jackson home. I'm sorry that you are apparently not that happy wherever you live; I've almost always found it to be true that a bully cuts others down in an attempt to make themselves feel better about their own perceived shortcomings and general dissatisfaction with their own circumstances.

This stone casting thing is getting old, because like it or not, we all live in the glass house named MISSISSIPPI. "From the Delta to the Coast....grab the 40oz, let's toast"

Although I seriously doubt there is much left to be said regarding this thread, I am with 2:22 PM: We are all in the same leaning ship and may as well paddle together. However, the commentary offered by 7:03 PM (Oct. 5) pretty much nailed the Us vs. Them spiteful diatribe that makes its way into almost every topic that Kingfish throws our way - remember that this thread began with the news that a favorite local eatery had closed...

11:35 yes $200 an hour and not a partner yet. Read it and weep. I love my home in Jackson. Pluck you very much.

THANK YOU 1:21!!!!!!!! Couldn't have said it better myself.

To bring some relief to this thread, which has gotten pretty nasty, let me assure all that

The
BRAVO!
Tomato/Basil
Soup
Will
NEVER
Change.

And that's one thing you can hang your hat on.

#heard on the new menu items... #heard on staying in our place... #heard on the to-go window... and #heard on remodeling.

THANK YOU ALL.

You have given Dan and me and our team MUCH to think about.

Thank you to the entire JJ community... even the more "animated" ones. ;-)

Just wondering...
With an array of possible names for the district, why was 'Lefleur East' chosen? Aside from a colleague from Cairo, and one from the Amalfi Coast, I've never heard anyone pronounce 'Lefleur' correctly (they'd only recently arrived, and hadn't gotten the memo that it's shameful to pronounce foreign words correctly).

Do people enjoy watching outsiders cringe, when they pronounce 'Lefleur' to rhyme with 'moor', 'boor', 'poor', and 'skewer'? Otherwise, why not choose a name that people aren't ashamed to pronounce correctly?

Don't waste your time pondering the name. The organization is an ineffectual joke.

Kosciusko, DeSoto, Lafayette, Saltillo, Anguilla, D'Iberville, Saucier

34 comments for two KIOR threads which has a great effect on our economic well being and over 100 for a defunct restaurant. Now that's a sad commentary on priorities. Pitiful.

I agree 9:33. If the KIOR plant was in Jackson, the haters would be having a field day bigger than they are here. All KF has to do for comments is plant one person on each thread promoting Jackson and here we go.

My takeaway after slogging through this massive comment section is that we should all just read Jeff's comments three or four times each for lessons in civility, intelligence, business acumen and communications. And I don't know Jeff personally beyond his kind treatment of me if I run into him at one of his places.

One other thought that is not at all unique. The restaurant business is very difficult. You have to have a variety of skill sets and a sense of thrift to make it long term. You also have to work really really hard by the standards of most people today. I commend Jeff and Dan (and there are other restaurant owners) for staying so passionate about their businesses for so long. The Jackson Metro is made better by their presence.

@benbit

*blush*

Thank you.

34 comments for two KIOR threads which has a great effect on our economic well being and over 100 for a defunct restaurant.

Please keep up. There are hundreds of comments in multiple threads about KioR already here on JJ. Use the search engine to get up to speed.

Jeff,

You're welcome. Well deserved.

And count me as another vote for staying put. A whole lotta work and uncertainty in moving. A little update is all that's needed IMHO.

Restaurant posts always generate a large amount of traffic and comments. There is a reason the media devotes space to them. I like writing about them but consider things such as PERS and Kior to be more important but human nature is what it is. ;-)

I haven't posted on the Kior threads, because, quite frankly, thinking about those things just gives me a dirty, ugly, HOPELESS feeling. And there's NOTHING I can do about those things. No matter who gets elected, be they members of the Stupid Party OR the Evil Party, they are going to accept "inducements", in order to do the bidding of "powerful interests".

Politicians who won't 'play ball' never make it off 'first base'. (You see what the entrenched crooks did, and are doing, to Mayor Mary, who is honest.)

I can stay out of the Renaissance "lifestyle center", if I am upset by reports of tens of millions in Go-Zone money, meant for rebuilding the Coast, being funneled into the project, for the further enrichment of Andrew, Buster, and Big Jim.

I will be able to stay away from Costco.

I can stay away from the nihilist hideosity that is being made of Highland Village. (Why whitewash that iconic, beautiful, EXPENSIVE brick, and the expensive colored mortar? Why not put that money into plantings, garden furniture, and correcting architectural deficiencies, such as the center's Interstate-facing facade?) It will be even EASIER to avoid the place, once HV's currently-dwindling collection of the best retailers in the region has been replaced by "upscale" national chains. (If you're holding your breath until Tiffany, Cartier, Neiman Marcus, and Dean & DeLuca announce their new Highland Village locations, you're gonna turn blue.).

But I cannot avoid helping to pay for Kior, or any of the other boondoggles which RAPE the taxpayer. I am not allowed to opt-out. That helplessness makes such issues hard to think about, and hard to write about.

Yes, 7:34, please do stay away. Keep your miserable self away. Renaissance and Highland Village do not belong in a Kior conversation. You do not get it. You do not contribute. You stay home and hate and spew your venom on those who try. If it were left up to you, Mississippi would be dirt roads and cotton fields.

Wow 1:03 Anonymous, you sure do know a lot about 7:34 Anonymous's life and personality from his/her 300 or so word post. Or maybe you really don't, but think you do?

All of these restaurants closing is no coincidence. There is a gentleman whose trade name is "The Sommelier". A ruthless criminal with an impeccable taste in fine wines. He supposedly has a wine cellar that rivals any top collector's. The Sommelier picked Jackson because it is a larger city but not large enough to be noticed. He approaches individuals to open restaurants. Usually it is a cash-starved chef who wants to make that dream come true. He gets them to sell their souls to him in exchange for secret financing of the restaurant.

What is the payoff to him? The Sommelier is a major player in drugs and sex trafficking. Servers are the perfect mules. There is high turnover in those jobs anyway so no one suspects anything. If anything, he uses them as mules. They come into town for him and work for awhile at his restaurants. The legal owner has almost no say so but is forced to go along as he is now part of the crime. Then when the heat gets too hot or he figures that storefront has run its course, he shuts down the restaurant. What looks like a bunch of failing restaurants is actually part of a much larger scheme that opens and shuts businesses as a cog in a large criminal enterprise that happened to land in Jackson. No one says anything because the Sommelier is ruthless and once made an example out of someone who wouldn't agree to his terms.