With a population under 24,000, Oxford, Miss. took some time to formulate a small-town restaurant scene of its own. Enter chef John Currence — a New Orleans native who founded City Grocery Restaurant Group in 1992 — and was an integral part of the Courthouse Square revival in the college town.
Housed in a former livery stable, City Grocery is the flagship of the restaurant group that has slowly taken over the Oxford restaurant community, each with Southern or Creole-tinged roots, from a breakfast-only spot to Snackbar, the eatery geared toward the younger, college-aged bracket of the University of Mississippi crowd.
“There’s been some fatigue associated with my name but at the same time we soldier on and try to be good stewards to our community,” Currence said. “Whether we’re serving bacon and scrambled eggs or foie gras, we try to create the same level of service and same environment for people to work in.”