Jackson Free Press

Jackson residents will have the opportunity to experience exotic dishes every Monday in October when local chef Tom Ramsey, owner of La Finestra (120 N. Congress St., Suite 3), begins a month-long series of pop-up dinners at Taste of the Island Caribbean (436 E. Capitol St.).

Ramsey says the pop-up series called Stäge—a French term for an unpaid internship an aspiring chef undergoes in an established restaurant to learn under a professional chef—is a chance for him to branch out and experiment with dishes outside the norm.

"This will be food Jackson doesn't see very much, out-there and interesting stuff from French to southern cuisine and more," Ramsey said.

"The reason I put this together is because, with all the work I have to do running La Finestra, I don't actually get to cook as much as I'd like to. This gives me a good opportunity to stretch and enjoy myself in the kitchen."

Ramsey said some things visitors can look forward to include dishes such as "Murder Point Oysters" and "Tentacles and Testicles," a dish made of chicken testicles and squid. A menu for the Oct. 5 event is now available on stagepopup.com.

Stäge is bring-your-own-beer and will have suggested wine pairings from Fondren Cellars (633 Duling Ave.), Kats Wine (921 E. Fortification St.) and Colony Wine Market (121 Colony Crossing Way, Madison) that customers can bring with them.

Tickets for Stäge are $50 per person for each seven-course dinner. Purchase of a ticket guarantees a seat; first arrivals get seated immediately, but everyone who buys a ticket will be served. Tickets will be available for purchase on stagepopup.com. For more information, call La Finestra at 601-345-8735 or visit stagepopup.com.

Restaurants and chefs: Send food news to [email protected].