Food Traveler Magazine Winter 2016 | Page 124

Southeast Tupelo Long-known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, Tupelo is emerging as a culinary hot spot. Just like the unique sound Elvis created, melding gospel, country, and rhythm and blues to create rock ‘n’ roll, Tupelo’s culinary culture is a melting pot, celebrated at tables throughout the city, at each meal, every day. Tupelo’s culinary landscape is an ever-evolving scene whose constant is its ability to satiate any appetite. From food trucks and perennial southern favorites to farm-fresh creations and haute-cuisine, Tupelo is blazing an epicurean trail through the state of Mississippi. Tupelo’s food culture is 122 FoodTraveler l Winter 2016 MISSISSIPPI also inspired by Elvis, inviting patrons to enjoy a meal where he was known to eat. Johnnie’s Drive-In is still a full-service drive-in restaurant, serving up the same diner food that Elvis loved. Guests can even sit where he sat in the “Elvis Booth.” Tupelo invites guests to discover the ultimate #tupelofoodie experience by creating their own culinary itinerary at tupelo.net. Whether gathering the girls for a girlfriends’ getaway, loading up the family for the next adventure, or planning the perfect romantic weekend away, great meals literally put the icing on the cake in Tupelo. With new restaurants opening almost weekly, tupelo.net is your resource for the next epic feast. Throw in a little live music at one of the city’s many live music venues and let the rhythms of the town that gave rise to the world’s greatest entertainer move you. In the South, food is less a means of nourishment than it is an integral thread in the DNA of what makes a southerner southern. The town that enabled Elvis to dream big still embodies that same contagious optimism that put him on a path to stardom, and today, it beckons visitors to come on in, have a bite to eat, and stay for a while.