- From Natchez's Facebook page
With the help of authors and food enthusiasts such as John T. Edge, southern-inspired cuisine has become one of the hottest culinary trends in the country within recent years. Following in the footsteps of the numerous upscale southern restaurants popping up around America, a fresh face is setting out to make its mark on the Little Rock dining scene.
Owner, Alexis Jones plans to bring her culinary perspective to her new restaurant “Natchez,” which she states will be opening in the early fall…which I assume means “very soon.” Natchez will be located in downtown Little Rock on 4th St. and Center in the historic Catlett Tower Building. Jones’ vision for Natchez is “an ever-evolving moderately upscale restaurant offering an eclectic, reasonably priced menu of classically prepared, southern-inspired dishes with contemporary French and Mediterranean influences using local ingredients and sustainable practices.”
Natchez gets its name from the antebellum city in which Jones’ mother was raised in Mississippi. The city of Natchez overlooks the eastern bank of the Mississippi river, and predates New Orleans as one of the oldest European establishments, playing a pivotal role in trade and commerce. Jones was inspired by the city given the many cultural influences, Native American, Spanish, French, British, and African, that played a role in the development of Natchez cuisine and culture.
Jones is planning a menu featuring a generous amount of seafood, freshly made pasta dishes, braised meats, daily soup, salad, and sandwich specials, as well as vegan and vegetarian options.