Jackson Free Press

Grant Nooe knows food. He knows saté from sauté and semifreddo from shabbu-shabbu. With a handful of ingredients and a grill, he can fly you to the moon (or at least to Asia), but mostly, Nooe is a down-to-earth guy. He speaks frankly, maintains eye contact, gestures when excited. And he gets excited when he talks about food, particularly that food we've known longest—southern home-cookin', in all its greasy glory. Except that Nooe's mission is to help southern food change its image—more glory, less grease.

"My mom used to collect bacon grease in a can," he recalls. "It flavors cornbread and lima beans, sure, but in the South, we've got diet-related health problems." Nooe speaks of the origins of southern food, how slaves and farmers incorporated available fats and proteins to sustain long workdays. "But now that conditions are better for everyone, there's a major need for change in our traditional recipes."

Nooe says families, especially, are challenged. "I was a single parent for eight years, always looking for something quick, and frankly, there was nothing but sandwiches and burgers."

Realizing the health hazards in both southern food and fast food, Nooe came up with his own solution. He opened Fresh Market Café in 2003 on Spillway Road in Brandon, hopefully the first of many. Using stocks and stewing rather than fats and frying, Fresh Market Café prepares 15 vegetables and 10 meats daily. The restaurant has a dining area and ambiance, but it also has a cafeteria-style serving line and a drive-through window.

"We'd like to see this concept spread throughout the Southeast," Nooe says, mentioning plans for other restaurants in the area, and eventually, Fresh Markets in surrounding states.

Nooe's Fresh Markets may be key in helping southern food overcome its stigma of "heart-attack-on-a-plate."

"This thing could blow up," Nooe says, "but you have to be aware of your demographic. I've noticed disparities, even in what goes over in south and central Mississippi versus north Mississippi. Down south, people want lots of red beans and rice, but up north, we can't give it away. There, they eat lots of catfish." He considers, then adds, "I think people are always going to want mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and some of your conventional beans. But you know, in some places I'd probably serve navy beans instead of black-eyed peas, and obviously, lots of corn in the Midwest."

Nooe speaks honestly of the difficulty in opening restaurants in Mississippi. Southern ideology is conservative, and the banking industry is no exception. "Food is risky business, and bankers aren't sold on risk," he admits. "Developing Fresh Market has been a financial stretch, but all of my suppliers were gracious. They knew me, they knew the industry, and over time, we began to pay off our debts with the business's profit. But I wasn't able to put money back into the restaurant, wasn't able to market or do any of the start-up necessities."

Nooe eventually partnered with a local restaurant and hotel group, and four years after opening the first Fresh Market off Spillway Road, he was able to open a second location in Flora, in December 2006, and move forward with plans for expansion.

In the metro Jackson area, Nooe is well-known among foodies. The former proprietor of Brick Oven, the first wood-burning stove restaurant in the state, he also owns Pan-Asia.

However, few would guess that a passion for music actually led Nooe to the kitchen. "I studied classical violin in college," he says, "but while doing that I had to work. I always worked in restaurants, which made me realize maybe I should be in the restaurant business."

So he headed north, to study at the Culinary and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, where he was "exposed to a whole other world of culinary arts." Talking about the influence of Chicago food on American culture, Nooe repeatedly references music, outlining similarities between his two obsessions.

"In my opinion, Chicago is one of the leading culinary communities in the States. A lot of trends start in Chicago and spread all over. The city has a wide range of ethnic groups, whose foods influence the American chef. It's like jazz. Americans created jazz, using regional flavoring and African and European ingredients. Instruments like piano and guitars, those are European. You know, jazz actually started in Mississippi with the blues. America's true contribution to both food and music is fusion."

Jazz is also a relative newcomer in musical history, just as "American" cuisine is still struggling to define itself in a global culture. "Really," Nooe says, "it's been in the past 30 years that specialized food has become widespread in the United States. If you look at Jackson specifically since the 1980s, the talent that's come out of this city is phenomenal."

Additionally, Jackson is a hospitable place for experimental restaurants. "Because of its central southeastern location, people are well-traveled," Nooe says. "The business community in particular has been exposed to a variety of foods, and they like to eat out."

He attributes the success of Fresh Market to regulars. "Some people come for lunch every day. I can't always remember names, but I remember favorite foods. It's a choice to eat with us, and we appreciate the support," he says.

When I ask why he returned to Mississippi, Nooe smiles. "After living in Chicago or any big city, you realize what a great place Mississippi is," he says. "I love the community, and I see the potential. I have a sort of motto, that if I make an effort to meet the needs of the community, my needs will be met, too. Mississippi's been good to me."

Previous Comments

ID

84934

Comment

I'll second the endorsement of Fresh Market. It's about two minutes from my house, and serves as a pretty regular substitute for cooking dinner. As noted, it's good, solid home cooking, sans the grease-induced lead weight feeling afterward. I'd love to have one closer to downtown for lunch. Try it if you're out reservoir way. Come to think of it, they should really play up the health angle in their advertising. I didn't know they eschewed deep frying until I read this; I just had this vague sense that their food felt lighter. I imagine there are a lot of folks in Jackson who would drive an extra few miles for this sort of thing, if they knew what they were getting.

Author

laughter

Date

2007-06-27T20:40:32-06:00