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PAUL:

Some chefs chase the spotlight. Others build something so undeniable that the spotlight finds them. In Jackson, we've got two of those chefs, two people who've earned national recognition, not by leaving Mississippi behind, but by staying rooted here, cooking what matters, proving this place has always had something worth celebrating.

Hey, it's Paul Wolf with a front row seat to conversations on culture from Jackson, Mississippi. We call our podcast Soul Sessions. It's the people, places and events that make the City With Soul shine. On today's show, we're talking elevated Southern cooking with Nick Wallace and Hunter Evans, two chefs cooking at the highest level, both part of this weekend's sold-out dinner at the Mississippi Children's Museum for the third annual Jackson Food and Wine Festival.

Nick Wallace grew up on a homestead in Edwards, became the first Mississippi resident on Top Chef, and now runs Hen and Egg in the former Sun and Sand location. Hunter Evans came up through New York kitchens, came home to open Elvie’s in Belhaven, became a four-time James Beard Award finalist, and he's taken over the oldest operating restaurant in Jackson, the Mayflower Cafe.

One is proving Mississippi has something to say on the national stage. The other is building what he calls Mississippi French cuisine, preserving the city's culinary landmarks. Both understand that elevated doesn't mean abandoning where you're from, it means showing the world what's been here all along.

Let's start with Chef Nick Wallace.

Nick, you were the first Mississippi resident to appear on Top Chef.

NICK:

Yes.

PAUL:

What did that moment mean to you and what did you want to represent when you were on that show?

NICK:

The main focus I wanted was, you know, just to respect the culture of Mississippi. For me and a lot of other culinarians out there, we worked really hard over the decades and decades, you know, just trying to take care of our craft, but also take care of the people and the last thing I want to do is go out there and show, you know, anything that's not 100%. That's what I believe in people in Jackson and Mississippi. And so that was my nervous wreck because you never know if you're going to be around anybody that's going to get up under your, you know, under your nails a little bit. But I think the good thing about the people from Mississippi kind of goes back to like being grassroots. You know, that's what I see for Jackson, too. Jackson has some very interesting, creative people. And I think you can throw anything at them and they're going to survive. And that's why I wanted to the image to show how great we are.

PAUL:

It's interesting, Nick, that you mentioned the people and not necessarily the food.

NICK:

Yeah, I think it starts with the people, you know, the food, I think for, you know, even Hunter too, that should come, you know, kind of second nature. Food is should be a way of living. It's a way of life. But your attitude and your approach to people is where it starts. Before you even start a recipe, before you even start turning on your burners in your kitchens, before the lights turn on, you got to focus on the people. And if that is damaged, food don't matter. So I think it's all about the people. And that's how my grandmother always started her day. She started her day with a kiss on the cheek from my grandfather. That's how she started. So she focused on the people after that. You know, my grandfather would get up and get himself together. My grandmother goes straight in the kitchen to create a meal, but she started with the people first. So I think that's where, mean, of course we got a plan and that kind of stuff, but we can't become the superstars we want to be without the people.

PAUL:

You spent nearly six years at the Mississippi Museum of Art as the executive chef and culinary curator, teaching kids about soil, staring at paintings for culinary inspiration. How did that work shape the way you think about food now?

NICK:

Working at the museum and I was really blessed to be able to work with Julian Rankin to develop this culinary curator thing, which is so exciting because when it was brought up, it was almost the story has already been told. And that's reason why I think it was easier for Julian to be very creative, to come up with it, because we was already mapping out all the rolling exhibits. We was already talking about pop ups and we got this exhibit around this third Thursday so we can do this pop up. So we was already doing research about what did this artist like to eat, all this kind of stuff there. And it just made you think, because to be honest, cooking the same thing all the time can get quite boring in a way. And I think we all got to feed our soul. That's working at the museum, it fit my soul. And it showed me a way that you got to believe in what you do, but you got to show people who you are. So I think working at the museum just gave me that self-confidence to show the world of who I am. And I think by not working at the museum and being on Top Chef, probably when it came off as that person. In respect, somewhat, but the museum really shaped me and very soulful. So I'm ready for the world.

PAUL:

Chef, tell me about your latest project, The Hen and the Egg.

NICK:

Yeah, so The Hen and the Egg, we opened Hen and Egg August 1st, 2025. And, you know, everything happens for a reason, but I was really trying to open it up in August of 2024. And I wanted to do that in respect to my grandmother. And she got sick. She I'm not going to say necessarily she missed the opening because I think she's already compiled that in her head a long time ago that I was going to be able to do something that represents her and her honor. She was just such an amazing person. Amazing chef, amazing friend, amazing teacher, amazing farmer, amazing cheese maker. She's the best person to focus on preservation. She taught me about… preservation is key in your life. And at one point, I thought she was just talking about jams and jellies. know, so it took a while for me to really get what she was saying. But she lived until she was 98 years old. So she really focused on preservation. And then the whole time, she's probably been cooking 80 years of her life. She got married young.

So she was cooking and out there in the farm and doing these kinds of things all of her life. So I want to focus on that preservation. So I wanted to open up Hen and Egg to just do something in honor of her. So the hen is the representation of my grandmother and the egg is me. So everything that you see on the menu is like past and present. From the homemade ketchup she used to make, I just put my present time span on it. Same for her hot sauce, her honey, her loose berry jam is like some of the best people are wanting that in grocery stores and as well as the hot sauce. So that is for Ms. Linnell. You know, all the way around. And I think everybody deserves to have a hand in egg too, because everybody is not going to be able to wake up with roosters crowing. They're not going to be able to wake up with the essence of love that you were so excited to wake up because what adventure we're going to go on today. What am I going to learn today? Everybody's not going to be able to have that enjoyment of life. So I want to be able to give that to people. Hen and Egg was truly birthed on August 1st, 2025. And we're going to focus on preservation because I think everybody deserves a Hen and Egg.

PAUL:

Chef, you said “Mississippi has something to prove and I'm the person to prove it.” That's a big responsibility to shoulder. What is it that Mississippi needs to prove? And how are you doing that through your cooking?

NICK:

I say that in the respect, if I didn't get out there and start traveling at a young age, and I started doing national TV back in 2012, so 13 years, 14 years ago. So if I did see that side, I probably wouldn't be so bold. But jumping out there in the TV land, going to every place from Hollywood to Franklin, Ontario and Canada to a lot of New York, Chicago, doing all these filming and meeting all these amazing chefs. I got to hear people's response when you tell them where you're from. And that was, you know, 14 years ago. I think it's better now because I think I've earned for it to be better. So I can see that part, but it's still a stain. And I used to hear stories of, ‘Y'all still riding on horses down there?’ You know, ‘Y'all take horses to the store?’ They talk about slavery a lot. You know, a lot of those things there that's going to keep us back in time, which I don't think we should ever stop talking about it.

But also think you should put some respect on our past and also our present time. Just a little bit of respect should be given because people are not coming off as that about, say, you from Chicago or Milwaukee or Connecticut. I’m… we’re not doing that. Not Mississippi is not doing that because we got our own baggage. But everybody else do too. It's the same thing about the we fry everything. mean, everywhere I've traveled to, I went to 32 states. Everybody fries everything.

PAUL:

That's right.

NICK:

You know, so why does Mississippi get the baggage of we're the only place to fry everything? It's not true. And I think you won't know that until you go out there and see the world and challenge the world. So by going out there on TV shows and challenging myself and also challenging others, that's what I mean from that. But I think every individual in Mississippi, you believe in yourself and you need to take on that ownership as well. Honestly, you you're surrounded by a lot of MICHELIN star trained chefs. And for you, you know, coming from a community college, working on a farm in Mississippi and coming up through the culinary ranks, it could put you in a little place by yourself until you earn to be fitting in, you know. And I think you do that by work ethics. And you do that by making your personality shine and showing them how great you are. And I think anybody from Mississippi can go out there and be as great as you want to be.

PAUL:

You're cooking alongside chefs this weekend from all over the country at Jackson Food & Wine. So what do you want people to understand about Mississippi's food scene when they sit down at that table?

NICK:

I want them to understand that we are very diverse. We're, we just don't look one way. I think we can be compared to a lot of other states out there. I don't think people recognize us to being like that food state. I'm very thankful that the MICHELIN Guide came here to Mississippi. I'm very thankful to James Beard Foundation, thankful to all the networks, you know, all that. So that voice is definitely getting a little bit louder, but this Jackson Food & Wine Festival helps it be a lot louder.

And then we get to bring those same people that works in a lot of those environments. We get to bring them to our world. This is our land. And we get to respect that by showing them how we do things. So I'm happy to pair up with Hunter because I look up a lot to Hunter, you know, he's very respected and he works his butt off. That's the other great thing. So everything he gets, he earned. And you just got to respect that.

And the same thing for myself. You can't get no more grass-rooted than being hunter. You can't tell me that, you know, when you look at us, you don't see Mississippi. yeah, you see Mississippi. You see some very determined human beings that it's not going to take no for an answer. That's Mississippi. And I think what people are going to be able to experience throughout the dinner, it's going to be very shocking. To see two cultures, but it's not about the culture. It's about the land. And is here in Mississippi.

PAUL:

Chef Nick Wallace, proving Mississippi belongs on the national stage, teaching a new generation about where food comes from and cooking with confidence of someone who knows exactly what this place has to offer. There's something about what Nick does that's rooted in pride and purpose, understanding that Mississippi story is bigger than the stereotypes, that the hospitality and the flavor and the culture here are worth defending.

There's another way to make that same argument by staying right here in Jackson, building restaurants that become institutions, taking landmarks that already exist, making sure they survive. That's what Hunter Evans has been doing since he came back to Jackson. And now with the Mayflower, Hunter's doing it again.

Hunter, you're a four-time James Beard award finalist for Best Chef South, and you could cook anywhere. So why Jackson? What keeps you here?

HUNTER:

I think the people in the city of Jackson are very special. I'm from here, which obviously has some influence, I've kind of, you know, developed and formed my own life and work here. But the familiarity of the place and the people and the culture, the food ways, the music, and really seeing an opportunity to kind of help tell that story and highlight, you know, even if I'm not a part of the music, you know, but I can support those people and kind of help elevate their voice and their craft. And I feel like when people in Jackson start really doing that, when what we've seen in the past is these publications or magazines or articles, you know, kind of like, something's happening in Jackson, you know, like, maybe, maybe we should go to Jackson. it's like that it's been, it's really interesting and fun, exciting to be a part of that conversation. Yeah. You know what? You should, you should be paying attention. We've been here for a while and it's our time. Even just watching the Oscars and like kind of seeing the centered stuff and just Mississippi kind of sliding in that conversation. That's really exciting. Eudora Welty, Willie Morris, you know, who lived in New York for a long time as an editor and yeah, Bobby Rush. You know, I think there's just something about this place and what happens here, the life that has lived here that kind of spills into art and the way that people express it is worth. I think being a part of and other people are noticing it.

PAUL:

You've coined the term Mississippi French to describe what you cook at Elvie’s. So what does that mean exactly? How do you go about honoring French technique while honoring Mississippi?

HUNTER:

I would say Mississippi French kind of came out from being a cook, like I guess in culinary school, being a student, learning to cook and being classically French trained, having exposure to New Orleans and kind of the grand dining rooms and the history, reading cookbooks and just kind of being drawn to the tradition and that technique and pairing that with the life that I've lived in Mississippi and what I've seen and experienced. And kind of taking that with me through the lens of all those traditions of classic French cooking and technique in one sense. And then also kind of looking at, you know, Elvie, my grandmother from New Orleans and okay, well, who influenced New Orleans and kind of digging through that and like, okay, there's a Spanish, a French, you know, Cajun influence and trying to incorporate lima beans and collard greens and local pork and into kind of that to ultimately, which I think reflects kind of my story, my experience and, you know, our relationship to Mississippi and Jackson.

PAUL:

You've taken over the Mayflower Cafe, the oldest restaurant in Jackson. So what does that mean to you to preserve this institution?

HUNTER:

Kind of goes with like those things that we need to hold onto and share. And we can't let go in Jackson. And I still, I feel there's still so much story and potential of the story to be told out of that place. You know, I love telling people about comeback and whatnot. Being like, yeah, that's Jackson, like that's ours. Like claim it, celebrate it. So that was the really fun part of it of just being able to kind of usher it into the next chapter of its life. And then I guess it's location… downtown. I've always loved downtown. I've lived in bigger cities. I love the architecture. love just the way that people live and work and play in downtown and kind of seeing that as how that has changed in the past with Jackson an opportunity to kind of help bring that back to life and be a part of it, tell people that it can be done. And yeah, with the help and support of other people, we were able to kind of, I like we kind of plant a flag. Like it's not over yet. We're holding on. We're going to invest and kind of try to re-anchor that institution to what it was and to the people that work down there.

PAUL:

How has the last year and a half been going?

HUNTER:

It's been really, really great. We've learned a lot. know, business has been maybe not what we totally expected it, but we didn't have anything to base off of. You know, you can kind of project once you have some, I guess, experience of, you know, what are the seasons of downtown. But super excited about more law firms moving downtown, Thalia Mara opening downtown, Planetarium on the horizon, bookstore, record store, you know, new coffee shop. I think this was the goal in mind to see people want to be involved in downtown, I guess, in Jackson. So I'm super excited. There's already great people that have been down there, Cathead and Hal & Mal’s, Martins. So it's fun to kind of join them and have friends down there and collectively try to bring back downtown.

PAUL:

This weekend, you're cooking at Jackson Food and Wine alongside some chefs from across the country. Why does a festival like this mean so much to this city?

HUNTER:

I love doing these festivals and this is the third year for Jackson and we've done it every year. But I think as a chef, one of the more fun things is all the chefs come together and yes, we will cook on Friday night or Saturday and Sunday. But in between that, we might catch up and hang out and get to show the other chefs some local restaurants and kind of host them and show them what Jackson can offer. Them kind of experiencing the great culinary food that we have. If we can host all these chefs and show them a really good time, all the people attending the festival, then chances are they're going to book another trip to Jackson, you know, to relax even more.

PAUL:

Last question, chef, what do you want people to feel when they eat your food?

HUNTER:

I mean, what's the story you're trying to tell? I had this conversation recently with my brother. I think I want them to connect with our food, but maybe on a level where they understand that our food is thoughtful and there's some clarity to it that we are kind of trying to tell a story of the influences of the South and who we are as a people in Jackson, Mississippi. So it might be unfamiliar, but I always want it to be kind of comfortable, but kind of like an aha moment connecting dots of, ‘You can get this in Jackson,’ or, ‘This is cool,’ you know. I had this once in a different city and that's where I think those moments then the story of Jackson kind of gets retold. I did it in Jackson. I did it also in Atlanta and New York and you know, and then yeah, I think people start looking at us a little differently.

PAUL:

Chef Nick Wallace and Chef Hunter Evans, two approaches to elevated Southern cooking, but the same deep commitment to Mississippi. One is proving this place belongs on the national stage, showing what happens when you stay rooted and cook with purpose. The other is building a cuisine that honors French tradition while celebrating what's grown here, preserving the institutions that define Jackson's culinary history. Both understand elevated doesn't mean pretentious. It means respecting your ingredients, honoring your community and culture and cooking food that makes people feel something. And that's what they're doing this weekend at Jackson Food and Wine. And that's what they do here in Jackson every single day.

Food lovers Jackson Food and Wine is this weekend, March 20th through 22nd, and if you're hearing this now, well, you probably missed out! At the time of this recording the event was a few tickets shy of a total sellout, but don't worry we'll be back next year and in the meantime you can experience what Nick and Hunter are doing any day of the week we'll have links in our show notes to Nick's Hen and Egg and Hunter’s Elvie’s and The Mayflower at visitjackson.com/SoulSessions.

This podcast is produced by Visit Jackson, the destination organization from Mississippi's capital city. Our executive producers are Jonathan Pettus and Dr. Rickey Thigpen, and I'm our managing editor. You can learn more about all the great things happening in Jackson at our website. It's VisitJackson.com.

I'm Paul Wolf and you've been listening to Soul Sessions.

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