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Visit Starkville: Themed Itineraries

Itinerary One | Itinerary Two | Itinerary Three

Starkville: Your Taste of the New South

If you think your Mississippi culinary experience is limited to fried chicken and mint juleps get ready for a mouth-watering treat! A day of cuisine hunting in Starkville pairs the legendary hospitality of the traditional South with the diverse offerings of the New South. Starkville’s eclectic culture has produced some of the most intriguing dining experiences around. Plus, you can choose your own Mississippi-made and grown treats to take away from your “Southern” culinary trek.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Mississippi State University Cheese Factory & Shoppe
  • Reese Orchard
  • Peeples Pecans
  • Oby’s Cajun Restaurant
  • Shaherazad’s Middle Eastern Restaurant

ITINERARY:

DAY 1

Begin your New South experience with made-from-scratch bagels at City Bagel Café! Chef Joe has added his own southern flare to the traditional art of bagel-making, producing an astounding array of bagel sandwich combinations that will wake up your taste buds!

Next on your culinary trek – Mississippi State University! State of the art research meets mama’s kitchen with a tour of the A.B. McKay Food Research and Enology Lab. You’ll get a first-hand look at how Mississippi State wines, juices and jellies are made from locally-grown muscadine grapes – a southern favorite.

Then, tour the Mississippi State Cheese Factory at the Herzer Dairy Science Building where MSU’s coveted Edam cheese is made and shipped to eager culinary fans all over the world.

After touring, stop by the Cardwell Cheese Shoppe where Edam, Vallegret, and Cheddar cheeses and spreads are available as well as juices and ciders, jellies and jams and various other condiments and nuts – all “Bulldog” and Mississippi favorites.

For lunch, visit downtown Starkville and the Old Venice Pizza Company for Italian fare in a colorful urban atmosphere. Jim Bulian’s creations add a twist to his mother’s traditional Mediterranean recipes, featuring gourmet pizzas and imaginative Italian choices made with fresh ingredients.

After lunch, you can try your hand at a true Southern experience with a trip to Reese Orchard or Peeples Pecans. Some say that the best part of southern ingredients is the sweet taste of the hand that picked ‘em. Seasonally, visitors to Reese Orchard can pick their own oriental persimmons, pears, muscadines and blueberries. Don’t worry, sneaking a taste is not only allowed, but expected for your true indoctrination into Southern growing.

Peeples Pecans offers visitors another great pickin’ experience in their pecan grove. Pecans and hand-made treats are also available for purchase.

For your evening meal, Starkville offers its own take on the “progressive supper” popular with traditional Southern supper clubs. You’ll start with a gumbo appetizer and refreshing sweet tea at Oby’s, Starkville’s resident Cajun dining experience. Just watch out for the alligators Mr. O’Bannon keeps for his alligator po’boy. They’re usually in the freezer!

For your main course, visit Doe’s Eat Place for Delta steak and cocktails. This transplant from the Mississippi Delta serves what some have called the best steak in the world in addition to other authentic Delta fare. You’ll have to rest a bit after this one.

When you can move again, you’re in for a dessert treat! Just head to the other side of the world – down in the Cotton District – to Shaherazad’s Middle Eastern restaurant for Baklava, the traditional Mediterranean dessert. Your taste buds will love you!

Take a few minutes to walk around the Cotton District, one of Starkville’s most photographed areas and visit some of the shops or restaurants for drinks. Then, finish your culinary tour with a late night stack of tamales and frozen drinks at Up Your Alley – the perfect end to your trek through the palate of the New South!

STARKVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU