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Stella Creates New Fine Dining Experience on the Square

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Kobe short ribs from Stella

Stella owner Johnny Kirk cooks his short ribs for 72 hours at 137 degrees to achieve medium rare/medium perfection.


Talk about credentials – Stella, a fine-dining restaurant located at 208 South Lamar, has it all, starting with its award-winning chef and owner Johnny Kirk. Previously operating a restaurant by the same name in Memphis, Kirk received multiple best-restaurant and best-chef awards there. He was also named a “Rising Star of American Cuisine” by the James Beard Foundation.
Stella is unique in that the restaurant’s proteins are raised at the owners’ family farm in Chickasaw County.
Perusing the restaurant’s wine list, the tag line, “Mood Food Wine,” seems accurate. Co-owner Cindy Kirk’s expertise in selecting high-quality wines led to Stella’s Memphis location winning the Wine Spectator Award every year while the restaurant was in business. As Cindy says, “You have to drink it to know it.”
Stella features several unusual dishes, including the signature Crawfish Cheesecake. Another tasty appetizer—one that Cindy describes as “just delicious”—is the Buttermilk Fried Oysters, featuring oysters from Portland, Maine.
Peekytoe crab cake Stella

The crab cake at Stella features peekytoe crab, whole-grain mustard emulsion, roasted sweet peppers and cilantro.


The photos in the restrooms sparked our curiosity. Cindy explained that the name of the restaurant is a family name on both sides. Her great-grandmother, Stella, is represented in the ladies room, while Johnny’s beloved black lab, also named Stella, is pictured in the men’s room.
Stella is a true family restaurant. Manager Megan Christian is Cindy’s niece and, while growing up, spent her summers playing hostess at the Memphis location.

The restaurant’s name honors co-owner Cindy Kirk’s grandmother, Stella, as well as Johnny’s beloved black lab.


Stella’s management plan for ensuring customer satisfaction starts with a one-table approach to service. Any server can resolve a table’s needs immediately rather than requiring the customers to wait if their table’s assigned waiter or waitress is momentarily busy at another table.
Stella is open 5-10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, for dinner. Lunch is served 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch is from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. A small-plates happy hour menu is offered from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday.
Stella also offers a special Christmas Eve Brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. And a free glass of champagne will be served at the New Year’s Eve Brunch.


Steve VassalloSteve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745. 
 

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Arts & Entertainment

Gulf Coast Jam Gives Post Malone Fans a New 2026 Date to Circle

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Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach, Fla. offers Post Malone fans in Oxford an opportunity to see him concert. | Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Jam

Last week it was announced Grammy award-winning artist Post Malone cancelled the Oxford stop that was part of his Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2.

That concert was going to be held inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, giving the iconic venue an interesting, temporary environment.

But fans of Post Malone will have a chance to see the artist without having to travel across the country.

Post Malone will be a headlining act at the 2026 Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam in Panama City Beach. Malone will cap off the four-day music festival as main performer on Sunday, May 31.

The Country On The Coast™ festival lineup also includes headliners Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, and Riley Green, who will be joined by more than 20 artists at Frank Brown Park in beautiful Panama City Beach May 28-31, 2026. Passes are currently available at www.GulfCoastJam.com. Payment plans are available for all pass levels.

Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam drew sellout crowds of 30,000 for the past two years. Music Festival Wizard named Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam the number one festival in their

Top 50 Most Popular Fests in the World 2024 – Voter’s Choice poll and their Best Beach Music Festivals This Summer in 2025.

Post Malone, born Austin Post, is one of the most commercially successful artists of the last decade, blending hip‑hop, pop, and country influences into a style that’s made him a fixture on radio and streaming charts. He’s known for hits like Circles, Rockstar, and Sunflower, and for a touring schedule that usually packs stadiums and arenas. His shows tend to draw a wide mix of fans, which is part of why the Oxford date had been circled on the calendar for months.

Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam 2026 Lineup

Thursday, May 28

  • Keith Urban
  • Jessie Murph
  • Wyatt Flores
  • Cooper Alan
  • Walker Montgomery
  • Gannon Fremin & CCREV

Friday, May 29

  • Chris Stapleton
  • Marcus King
  • Jackson Dean
  • Brent Cobb
  • Cole Goodwin
  • Hueston

Saturday, May 30

  • Riley Green
  • Koe Wetzel
  • Ole 60
  • Josh Ross
  • Ashland Craft
  • Hannah McFarland

Sunday, May 31

  • Post Malone
  • Muscadine Bloodline
  • 49 Winchester
  • Elizabeth Nichols
  • Them Dirty Roses
  • Skeez
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Arts & Entertainment

Post Malone’s Oxford Stop Cut From Upcoming Stadium Tour

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Post Malone has cancelled the Oxford show as well as others from his upcoming stadium tour.

Post Malone has canceled five shows on his upcoming Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2, including the Oxford stop at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Post Malone’s summer stadium run is getting pushed back, and Oxford is among the cities losing a show. The artist announced Friday that he is canceling all May dates on his Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2, citing the need for more time to finish his new music. In a handwritten message posted to Instagram, he told fans he wasn’t ready to launch the tour as scheduled and needed roughly three more weeks to complete the project.

The cancellations include stops in El Paso, Waco, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Tampa, and Oxford, where Post Malone and Jelly Roll had been scheduled to perform at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on June 5. The Oxford date was one of several college‑town shows cut from the first leg of the tour.

Ole Miss Athletics notified ticketholders Friday that refunds for the Oxford show will be processed immediately. Fans who purchased through the school’s ticket office were told to expect refunds within 14 days, covering admission, parking, fees, and VIP packages. Third‑party buyers were directed to contact their ticket sellers.

While Malone emphasized that the delay is about finishing his upcoming double album, several of the canceled shows had reportedly struggled with ticket sales, with some venues offering discounts and student promotions in recent weeks. Widespread ticket availability at multiple venues was reported by Digital Music News, which cited seating charts and pricing data showing large sections unsold in the weeks leading up to the tour.

The rescheduled tour is now set to begin June 12 in Indianapolis.

Post Malone, born Austin Post, is one of the most commercially successful artists of the last decade, blending hip‑hop, pop, and country influences into a style that’s made him a fixture on radio and streaming charts. He’s known for hits like Circles, Rockstar, and Sunflower, and for a touring schedule that usually packs stadiums and arenas. His shows tend to draw a wide mix of fans, which is part of why the Oxford date had been circled on the calendar for months.

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Arts & Entertainment

Outdoor Dining Options Leaves Restaurant Owners and Managers Hopeful

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By AJ Norwood and Justin Claas
Journalism Students

Oxford restaurants such as The Blind Pig and Proud Larry’s are looking to make their outdoor seating areas permanent. However, they have a lot of hoops to jump through with the city in order to make that happen.

The owner of Proud Larry’s, Scott Caradine, says that the city thinks these outdoor seating options are a good thing, but some remodeling needs to be done in order for this to take place.

 “Their plan is to keep them year-round, but they want to make them permanent and they want them to look nice,” Scott said.

The Blind Pig is a restaurant that didn’t originally offer an outdoor seating experience. Despite this, manager David Moore says that this is something that the Blind Pig has always been interested in pursuing.

“We have been really eager to invest in our outdoor dining to make it more worthy of the Square,” Moore said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phRKQxytrUw&ab_channel=JustinClaas

While these restaurants are still making plans to improve their outdoor dining experience, the city officials have not made a final decision on what to do. Caradine says that this is something that he hopes they can continue in the future to satisfy their customers.

“We hope they make it permanent,” Caradine said. “We look forward to them making something permanent here so we can use it because we like it. Our customers like it.”


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