The Recession Friendly Wine Dinner Series – October 12th, 6pm

City Grocery presents “The Recession Friendly Chef’s Wine Dinner Series”. Come enjoy Chef John Currence’s menu paired with wines from International Wines from Birmingham, Alabama. A representative will be present to introduce and discuss the selections.

The next dinner in the series will take place on October 12th, during regular dinner service. For $55 per person, it will leave neither your throat nor your wallet dry. When calling to make reservations, please specify if you would like the chef’s wine dinner menu.

25% off entire meal purchase! Tuesday-Thursday 7-9AM.

Dine in only, excludes merchandise.

Mississippi Cuisine On A Budget

Chef John Currence appeared on the CBS Early Show during the “Chef on a Shoestring” segment where he prepared Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese “Pop Tarts”, Garlic Studded Pork Roast and Chocolate Espresso Cake.

John’s fried chicken segment starts at 6:30 of the video.

The Adventures of the BIG BAD CHEF – Bourbon Mall – Leland, Mississippi from Joe York on Vimeo.

John Currence, aka BIG BAD CHEF & the 2009 James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef South along with filmaker Joe York, take you on a magical journey to The Bourbon Mall outside of Leland, Mississippi. Like a lot places in the Mississippi Delta, the Bourbon Mall serves hot tamales, but so far they’re the only folks we’ve found with enough guts to deep-fry them. Check your cholesterol at the door and follow the BIG BAD CHEF on a deep-fried detour through the Secret South.

The Adventures of the BIG BAD CHEF – Bourbon Mall – Leland, Mississippi from Joe York on Vimeo.

For years you guys have asked where we get our interesting plates from and I always tell the same story that, I am afraid, always sounds like hogwash.  I hand-select the China from an Asian-owned restaurant supply store on Bowery in NYC. The place is complete chaos…there is stuff EVERYWHERE and the folks, at times, can be a little difficult to work with, but they will sell you whatever you want and ship it…no questions asked. and, yes, they are unfailingly honest. So if you are really interested, they are called Leader Trading Co. on the west side of Bowery a couple blocks south of Delancy.  Dig in.

NEW YORK, NY (May 4, 2009) – Winners were announced this evening for the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industries. During a ceremony hosted by Cat Cora, Emeril Lagasse and Stanley Tucci at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, awards in 38 categories were presented, including Restaurant and Chef, Book, Design and Graphics, and special achievement awards. Industry leaders from across the country attended this year’s highly-anticipated festivities, which celebrated “Women in Food” and included a post-show Gala Reception featuring some of the nation’s top female chefs, sommeliers, mixologists and artisanal producers, led by Gala Chair Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. Among the winners was City Grocery’s John Currence who took home the Best Chef: South region award.

Watch video from 2009 James Beard Foundation Award

John Currence Wins James Beard Award – 2009 Best Chef South from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.

City Grocery owner and executive chef John Currence describes his winning Mississippi Redfish Courtboullion with Seafood Dirty Rice.

Currence beat out 14 other chefs from around the country to take home the title King of American Seafood in the 2008 Fifth Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off.

Read more about the Great American Seafood Cook-off

City Grocery and Big Bad Breakfast got a nod in the Commercial Appeal’s Best of 2008.
Read the full article here