It seems like every time I leave town so much restaurant news happens! I’ve been in Chicago since last Friday and since I’ve been gone I’ve heard from EatingOxford.com readers that IHOP is now open, Fat Cat’s closed and Waltz on the Square shut its doors.
Details to come when I’m back at the home computer…
The big, colorful exterior sign is up, the decked out VW Beetle is ready in the parking lot, and hiring has been underway all week at Tacky Shack, located next door to Rice & Spice on Jackson Avenue.
It appears the restaurant is about a week away from opening, and owner Clint Boutwell is anxious to introduce Oxford to his funky concept.
Read more about Tacky Shack here in the original posting on EatingOxford.com, and visit the Facebook page here for updates.
If you’ve been craving a drive out to Taylor, this coming weekend is the weekend to go!
In addition to the Taylor’s Farmer Market holding its first sale day of the summer on Saturday, the new Olivia’s Corner Market, which officially opens for business on Thursday in the former location of Emileigh’s Table, will also be serving a full breakfast and lunch for all of you hungry shoppers on Saturday.
For those familiar with Olivia’s Food Emporium on the Square, owner Mary Catherine Guest is now bringing her love of Italian cooking to the Plein Air neighborhood of Taylor, where she’ll be serving up authentic Italian food, buffet style. Dishes you can look forward to include lasagna, stuffed artichokes, veal parmesan, meatballs, stuffed rolled meat, eggplant parmesan and more. Mary Catherine also plans to offer what she says is one of the best burgers around as well as many of the dips and spreads that are currently found at Olivia’s Food Emporium.
The upper floor of Olivia’s Corner Market will be transformed into an event space with a ballroom, and there are plans for events to be held both inside and outside of the restaurant in the near future. A brown-bag option is also in the works.
Hours for Olivia’s Corner Market are: Thursday/Friday (lunch), Saturday (breakfast/lunch), Sunday (lunch).
The Taylor Farmer’s Market will be held 8:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday with more than two dozen vendors selling produce and plants, a performance by Chauncey and The Beast, and Kidfest hosted by Plein Air Montessori.
The wait is over for the newest pizza joint to hit Oxford. Soulshine Pizza Factory opened its doors yesterday in the old Varsity Grille location.
UPDATE 4/21: Went to check the place out after work today and it was slammed, as expected. Friendly advice for future restaurateurs: schedule your entire staff to work the first few nights—it’s pretty much a guarantee that any new restaurant here in Oxford will be packed when it first opens.
Amid rumors that Little Dooey BBQ was shutting down, the restaurant has reopened and added Fat Albert’s Cafe to its name.
There have been mixed reviews so far, but that’s to be expected with any new venture.
UPDATE 5/18: It appears that this venture is solely Fat Albert’s now. The Little Dooey has left Oxford.
A Facebook page for Five Guys Burgers and Fries notes that an outpost will be opening in Oxford in the future. I’ve been trying to get in touch with the corporate office, but they are slow to respond.
Some thought it was going in where Petit Millets once stood, but I’ve heard that a former employee of Roosters is opening a burger and barbecue joint in that spot.
If anyone has any further info, please comment here or email foodie@eatingoxford.com.
UPDATE 4/20: I heard from someone involved with the Five Guys expansion into Mississippi…
“I am part of the group that has bought the franchise for Five Guys for the state of Mississippi (Hattiesburg to Southaven). We do plan to open a Five Guys in Oxford in the next couple of years. In the next month we will be opening our 2nd store in Flowood, MS and we also have a site picked out for our third store in Clinton, MS. After Clinton, we plan to go to Hattiesburg, Oxford and Starkville. After the college towns, we plan to go to Tupelo, Columbus and Southaven.”
The South Depot Taco Shop opened today and I’ve already received emails from a few folks saying that they’ve either tasted—and approved—or heard good things. Sounds like it’s off to a good start.
Have you tried it yet? Let me know your opinion.
If you went by Fat Cat’s Catfish & Steaks on College Hill Road and found the restaurant closed, it’s because they’ve been moving. Where to? The former location of Red House Burgers & Blues at 203 S. 11th Street near the Square.
I ran into Fat Cat’s manager Justin Harris today as he was helping to move the final load of equipment into the new space. Harris says that the new location will hopefully be open by the end of next week and will unveil up to 20 new menu items (minus the plate lunches offered at the College Hill Rd. location). There are plans to feature a variety of catfish dishes not available elsewhere in Oxford, and the owners are considering extending the restaurant’s hours to be open seven days a week.
More details to come.
UPDATE 3/31/11: Fat Cat’s is scheduled to open tomorrow night.
UPDATE 6/9/11: Fat Cat’s is now closed and a new grill and bar is being constructed in its place.
Even an MDOT warning to stay off of the icy roads didn’t deter folks from filing into Rice & Spice Thai Kitchen today to try Oxford’s newest Thai food offerings.
spring roll appetizer
pad thai with tofu
pad see aew
See original post here.
If you’ve got a hankering for some ribs, The Shak opened this Monday on Thacker Heights Dr. just off Highway 6.
Check out the menu here and see the original EatingOxford.com post for more info.
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