So, you all know how much I love to eat.
There are a ton of great places to eat in Starkville. I know this column mainly focuses on cheap eats, but I wanted to do something different this week. So, friends, I have news: I have finally found the best place I cannot afford to eat at in Starkville.
If your man messed up and needs to apologize, I have the place for you. Those of you who have been unable to eat anything other than take out for the past few years, I have the perfect place to celebrate graduation.
Restaurant Tyler, winner of Best Brunch in Mississippi Magazine, competitors in the annual Starkville Forks and Corks competition, and part of Eat Local Starkville.
Eat Local Starkville, for those who do not know, is a group of restaurants in Starkville which have a farm-to-table mentality. City Bagel and Bin 612 are other notable local eateries involved in Eat Local Starkville.
Ty Thames, the owner and executive chef of Restaurant Tyler, the star of this article, said he is heavily influenced by Southern history and modern food.
“We put the love into the food still,” Thames said. “That’s what separates us.”
In all honesty, I could end this article with: “go to Restaurant Tyler, it is one of the few times shelling out some cash is worth it during college.”
However, I am willing to share my experience and allow you guys to live vicariously through me, until you decide to actually go to Restaurant Tyler.
Restaurant Tyler is very willing to cater to specific dietary restrictions. They have vegan and vegetarian options. I have talked about this a few times, but I really value restaurants which cater to my peanuts allergy, which Restaurant Tyler did without a second thought.
They never repeat a dinner menu item on the tasting menu and the menus change seasonally to better show off the local produce from that quarter. This means every dish is at its best when served.
So, without further ado, let us talk about the farm-to-table cuisine offered.
“We all have the same principles and baseline of supporting local farmers, local business within the community and representing where we live,” Thames said.
There is even a list of the local farmers they work with available on the Eat Local Starkville website for those interested.
The night started out with lamb and duck sausage served with fontina cheese, homemade kimchee and house-made goat’s milk yogurt. The yogurt which was awesome and had a Moroccan feel to it, which complimented the kimchee.
Next was my favorite: the pappardelle pasta. You need to try the pappardelle pasta. It is handmade pasta, with lamb Bolognese (can you tell how much I love lamb?), topped with goat cheese shredded right in front of me.
The night finished with a peach cobbler crepe. I think I could have died in the moment. I loved everything about this one. The crepe was filled with cream cheese and peach preserves, topped with a crushed pecan and wildflower honey mixture, and served with some peaches.
Everything I ate and drank was made by hand or farmed locally. From handcrafted cocktails, to not using soda guns or store-bought drink flavors, to growing their own herbs in their own gardens, to beekeeping to be able to have local wildflower honey for their foods – everything is as local as possible and you can taste it.
The next time you are looking for a location in Starkville to celebrate a special occasion, I cannot recommend Restaurant Tyler enough.
Chew on This: Restaurant Tyler
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