The Starkville Area Arts Council (SAAC) hosted its fifth-annual Forks and Corks fundraiser last Saturday evening at The Mill Conference Center.
Proceeds from the event fund grants and scholarships to support the mission of the SAAC, which is “to promote the essential value of the arts for the cultural, educational, social and economic vitality of the Starkville area.”
Eleven restaurants and four craft breweries from the Golden Triangle—each with its own mesmerizing spin on flavor, creativity and presentation—competed to earn judge’s or people’s choice awards.
Judging criteria included best taste, originality and presentation.
In preparation for the event, Chef Jonathan Boyd of Harvey’s said he perfected his dishes over the course of three months.
“From securing and perfecting our moonshine recipe, to how we were going to cook our pork, it was not on whim,” Boyd said. “It was an ‘alright, we’re going to put this seasoning on it, but this is the reason why’ strategy. These are the best restaurants Starkville has to offer.”
Some items featured on the tasting menu were Restaurant Tyler’s cold-smoked pork roulade with honey-laquered peaches, brebis cheese and peach agrodolce, and BIN 612’s butternut squash raviolis.
Bulldog Burger, a favorite among many students, prepared a deconstructed burger with root and vegetable chips, while Mississippi State University’s own Aramark served short ribs with a roasted chipotle carrot puree and sautéed kale.
Ribbons of smoke swirled from each chef’s table, decorating the ballroom with a tasty perfume. Guests wandered from station to station and sampled as many dishes and drinks as desired.
While guests pondered their own decisions about who to vote for, five impressive judges casted their votes. J.J. Carney, founder and publisher of “Eat. Drink. MISSISSIPPI,” and Chef Alexie Harrison, director of Mississippi University for Women’s Culinary Arts Institute, were two of five judges.
Perhaps Mark Coblentz, Starkville’s own Junior Masterchef, best encompassed the SAAC’s vision for the event. Coblentz, only 15, has already earned two national television credentials for his cooking skills. The diversity in age, talent and thought across the board at Forks and Corks reflected what the SAAC aims to do in all their events: establish community.
Community enlivened every segment of the evening. Guests chatted around round tables, perfect for group discussion.
Meanwhile, local musician Bill Cooke brought the blues and sang of “old Starkvegas.” Warm and familiar to all southerners, Cooke’s blues made it hard to disengage from the evening. In all things at this event, community was fostered.
John Bateman, executive director of the SAAC, said he was pleased with how the evening came together.
“I find it so amazing, the fact that Starkville is so different than many other Mississippi towns,” Bateman said. “We’ve got Julliard-trained string artists here and amazing dancers and visual artists and filmmakers. There’s a lot here.”
Bateman articulated not only the beauty of the event, but the purpose of it. He said art reaches through political, communicative and intellectual boundaries and creates incredible relationships because of that. Art builds business and economy, but it also supports passion and joy. He said he believes both of these are necessary components of a thriving community.
Lion Hills, an extension of East Mississippi Community College, was among the competing restaurants. While preparing for the competition, their staff also taught students. One of their chefs was a former student of EMCC’s culinary program.
Eventually, attendees voted in classic ballot-box fashion. 
Chef Thad Elmore of The Camphouse won first place overall, with a round of wild applause for his southern smoked brisket on spanish cornbread. Central Station Grill won second place, and Harvey’s third.
The judges, however, came to one major agreement: Central Station Grill earned the titles of “Best Taste,” “Most Original” and “Best Presentation.” Chef Leon Jefferson received three medals and plenty of celebratory hugs from patrons.
Forks and Corks was an incredible event that boasted delectable dishes and advocated for a stronger Starkville community.