Mississippi
Inaugural Michelin Guide American South honors 10 MS restaurants. See which made the list
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In the inaugural Michelin Guide American South, Mississippi restaurants from the northern corners to the coast were recognized, with two winning the prestigious Bib Gourmand distinction and another eight making Michelin’s “recommended restaurants” list.
Michelin Guide announced the 2025 American South selections during a ceremony in Greenville, South Carolina, Monday night, Nov. 3.
In total, the Michelin Guide honored 228 restaurants representing 44 different types of cuisine and seven Southern states, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The guide awarded 10 restaurants Michelin Stars, one of the most coveted distinctions in the dining world.
While Mississippi did not collect any Michelin Stars, the state was still heavily represented.
Bib Gourmand distinction
The Bib Gourmand distinction recognizes eateries for great food at a great value, according to Michelin Guide.
The 2025 American South selections had a total of 50 restaurants, including two Mississippi eateries: Elvie’s of Jackson and Sacred Ground Barbecue of Pocahontas.
Both restaurants are fairly new to the Mississippi dining scene.
Elvie’s
In 2020, award-winning Jackson chef Hunter Evans opened Elvie’s as a homage to his grandmother, May Eliveretta Good, who provided the chef’s first memories of the complex nature of food. Evans grew up visiting his grandmother in New Orleans and fondly remembers eating her classic Southern cooking, which inspires Elvie’s menu today.
In 2020, weeks after Elvie’s had opened, the restaurant fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic and, like so many other restaurants around the world, shut its doors. The closure was temporary, however, and Evans and his crew managed to grow the restaurant through pop-ups and takeout meals.
Five years later, Elvie’s is still going strong. Earlier this year, the restaurant was named a James Beard Awards Semifinalist.
The menu, split between day and night, includes classic Southern breakfast dishes such as home fries and cheese grits, as well as some more upscale dishes, including oysters and caviar service. The menu includes a wide range of wines and specialty cocktails.
Sacred Ground Barbecue
Sacred Ground Barbecue, tucked away in Pocahontas, opened in 2024 and has quickly become a local favorite.
The newcomer to the Mississippi barbecue scene won the first-ever Clarion Ledger Jackson Metro BBQ Battle in August.
After five weeks and five rounds of bracket-style voting, starting with 32 competitors, Sacred Ground emerged victorious. The menu’s non-traditional dishes managed to beat out established local favorites week after week.
Award-winning local chef Derek Emerson opened the restaurant in late 2024. Emerson, originally from California, started his culinary journey working at the Subway on East Northside Drive in 1989.
When the old Tivoli’s Crawfish building next to the former Big D’s Barbecue went up for sale, Emerson and his wife knew it was perfect for a barbecue joint. The location is far enough away from the busy city, but close enough to make the drive worthwhile.
The name “Sacred Ground” is an homage to the sacred Native American mounds across the street. According to Emerson, the mounds were not burial mounds, but rather served as a central meeting place and ceremonial site.
Sacred Ground’s menu includes some twists on BBQ classics like Kung Pao Pork Belly and BBQ baked potatoes. You can also get plates of brisket, turkey, tri tip, pulled pork, pork ribs and even lamb.
Other menu items include Frito pie, nachos, house-made sausage, brisket melts, smash burgers and smoked pork butts.
American South’s 2025 Recommended Restaurants
In addition to the two Bib Gourmand descriptions, Mississippi garnered eight spots on the American South’s 2025 Recommended Restaurants list:
- Ajax Diner, Oxford
- City Grocery, Oxford
- Snackbar, Oxford
- Taylor Grocery, Taylor
- Pulito Osteria, Jackson
- Siren Social Club, Gulfport
- Vestige, Ocean Springs
- White Pillars, Biloxi
Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com
Mississippi
Mississippi College Baseball Wins Series vs. West Florida for First Time
Mississippi College baseball has won the series against West Florida for the first time ever
The Choctaws have been playing UWF since 2015
MC won the first two games and put on a bit of a comeback in game 3
Next: GSC at Delta St., then Conference Tournament
Mississippi
George County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says
GEORGE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) — A George County High School senior is dead after an SUV hit him while bicycling on Highway 26 Friday night.
Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) officials said at 8:15 p.m. the MHP responded to a fatal crash on Highway 26 in George County.
Those officials said a Ford SUV traveling west on Highway 26 collided with 18-year-old Tyree Bradley of McLain, Mississippi, who was bicycling.
Bradley was fatally injured and died at the scene, MHP officials said.
The crash remains under investigation by the MHP.
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Mississippi
Mississippi State Drops Series Opener at Texas A&M Despite Late Chances
Some losses feel like they drag on longer than the box score suggests, and Mississippi State’s 3-1 opener at Texas A&M fits that category.
It wasn’t a blowout. It wasn’t a game where the Bulldogs looked outmatched.
It was just one of those nights where the early mistakes stuck around and the offense never quite found the swing that could shake them loose.
The frustrating part is how quickly the hole formed. Two solo homers and a wild pitch in the first two innings put Mississippi State behind 3-0, and that was basically the ballgame.
Against a top tier SEC team on the road, spotting three runs that early is a tough ask. The Bulldogs didn’t fold, but they also didn’t cash in when the door cracked open.
“I liked our fight. I think we’re really just working through some things offensively, and trying to stay together,” Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. “This team still believes, and we’re going to battle and fight every chance we get, and I think I saw a lot of that. I’m encouraged for what that means for us moving forward, but, you know, they’re a good hitting team, and we’ve got to be able to shut them down early. I don’t think Peja [Goold] had her best stuff, but she continued to battle out there and find ways to get outs.”
They had chances. Two runners stranded in the fifth. Two more in the sixth. Another in the seventh. Des Rivera finally got the Bulldogs on the board with an RBI single, but the big hit that usually shows up for this lineup never arrived.
It wasn’t a lack of traffic. It was a lack of finish.
If there was a bright spot, it came from the bullpen. Delainey Everett gave Mississippi State exactly what it needed after the rocky start.
“That was just a huge relief appearance by Delaney to keep us in it,” Ricketts said. “It’s really good to have her back and healthy these last few weeks because these are the moments where we really need her and rely on her. We know that she’s going to be a big part of the remainder of the season going forward as well.”
Three hitless innings, one baserunner, and a reminder that she’s quietly putting together a strong stretch.
There were individual positives too. Nadia Barbary keeps climbing the doubles list. Kiarra Sells keeps finding ways on base.
But the bigger picture is simple. Mississippi State is now 6-10 in the SEC, and the margin for error is shrinking. Nights like this one are the difference between climbing back into the race and staying stuck in the middle.
They get another shot this morning with the schedule bumped up for weather. The formula isn’t complicated.
Clean up the early innings, keep getting quality relief, and find one or two timely swings. The Bulldogs didn’t get them Friday. They’ll need them today.
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