Jackson Free Press

After Bottoms Up (3911 Northview Drive), former Best of Jackson winner for Best LGBT Bar, closed down on New Year's Eve this year, the Jackson LGBT community lost one of its most significant hangouts. Jesse Pandolfo, a Madison resident with 10 years of experience as a bartender and cocktail waitress in bars and nightclubs in Boston and Louisiana, aimed to bring back a night spot for the Jackson LGBT community when she purchased the former Bottoms Up location and opened a new bar and dance club, WonderLust, on Saturday, Sept. 19.

"I thought the gay community in Jackson needed options on where to go, especially a dance club for people to express themselves and be free," Pandolfo said. "When Bottoms Up closed, there just wasn't anything quite like it after it was gone."

Pandolfo, 31, has remodeled and updated the bar and other facilities in the building, including new lighting, a new DJ booth and new bathrooms. WonderLust features a large stage and dance floor and a separate area dedicated to drag shows, which happen every Saturday. Pandolfo is also planning a Halloween party at the club next month and a Winter Wonderland formal in December. In the spring, she will host what she calls a "do-over prom," an event dedicated to LGBT people who couldn't bring who they wanted to bring or dress how they wanted at their own high school proms.

WonderLust's bar has 16 beers available, including craft brew Abita Andygator, and Clubtails, a brand of cocktail served in cans. Visitors can also bring their own liquor or wine into the bar.

"I've never owned a club like this before, but a friend of mine who knew the building owner believed I could do this and connected me to them when they were looking for a new tenant," Pandolfo said. "I hope I can do something great with my establishment. The LGBT community deserves something good, and I'm working hard to give them that."

WonderLust is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. until. This Saturday, DJ Taboo will provide the music.

For more information, call 337-378-9003, visit WonderLust on Facebook or follow it on Instagram @wonderlustjackson.

Burke's Coming to County Line Road

Clothing retailer Burkes Outlet is opening a new location at 1043 E. County Line Road by the end of next month. The store will hold a soft opening Oct. 30 and a grand opening celebration over the first weekend of November.

On Thursday, Nov. 5, and Saturday, Nov. 7, the first 250 customers at Burkes will receive a mystery gift card with a value ranging from $5 to $200. On Friday, Nov. 6, the first 100 customers will all receive a $10 gift card.

The new Burkes location is a 25,000-square-foot building in the County Line Plaza shopping center. Burkes advertises items at up to 70 percent off other stores' prices. The store offers various name-brand clothing and shoes, as well as beauty products, home decor, pet supplies and more. Seniors get a 15 percent discount on all items on Mondays with a free membership in the Burkes loyalty club, the One Card. Customers age 49 and younger get the same deal on Friday.

Burkes will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The store will be hiring 20 to 25 people when it opens. For more information, call 800-683-8655 or visit http://www.burkesoutlet.com/.

SixO1 To-Go Opens at Northpark

Last month, a new restaurant with an interesting approach to menu offerings opened in the food court of Northpark Mall (1200 E. County Line Road, Ridgeland). SixO1 To-Go offers six menu items at a time, all priced at $10, with only three of those items as permanent fixtures. The other three change every two weeks. For those menu items, SixO1 To-Go presents a selection of ideas for the next menu and takes votes from customers on Facebook and Instagram the whole week before a menu change.

The three permanent items on SixO1 To-Go's menu are Cajun grilled chicken pasta, Caribbean jerk chicken wings and four-cheese lasagna. This week's shifting menu includes crawfish etouffee, pan-roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, and chipotle lime shredded-chicken tacos.

SixO1 To-Go is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Next month, the restaurant will begin offering delivery service 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Deliveries are available anywhere within 15 miles of Northpark Mall. Deliveries cost $6.01 and require a minimum $30 order.

For more information, call 769-447-5044. Vote for SixO1's next menu items on Facebook and Instagram.

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