CRAZY CAT EAT UP
Crazy Cat Eat Up started out as just a bakery, but soon customers began clamoring for them to expand into a full-service restaurant offering lunch throughout the week and dinner on Thursday through Saturday night. Serving elegantly plated inventive dishes that range from salads to sandwiches to seafood, Crazy Cat focuses on seasonal food presented in an unfussy Southern ambiance, like dining in your favorite grandma’s tearoom. (Providing she was a very good cook, of course.) True to their baking heritage, the desserts at Crazy Cat are insanely delicious.

BONSAI JAPANESE STEKAHOUSE
Nobody told the owner of Bonsai Japanese Steakhouse - Cheryl Truong - that you couldn’t get good hibachi in Mississippi, so she continues to serve it up every day alongside a stellar sushi menu.

On the sushi side, the list of traditional rolls and nigiri options is there, but the menu offers a distinctly welcoming Mississippian twist with items like the deep-fried Mardi Gras roll, which features crawfish. But the hibachi grill is where Bonsai’s approach really begins to shine. With the multitude of meat and sauce choices it would be fairly easy to order an entire meal that a hibachi purist wouldn’t even recognize, such as whole lobster tail with sweet chili sauce, or high-grade ribeye with sriracha.

HICKORY PIT
This iconic Jackson restaurant has long been the tasty and tender barbecue "mostly pork but also beef and chicken" that crosses the counter and feeds the soul. As well as barbecued pork, chicken and beef, the menu has smoked ham and turkey, burgers, po-boys and more. Their famous Hershey Bar Pie, lemon or pecan pie and carrot or coconut cake round out desserts.

THAI TIME AND SUSHI RESTAURANT
Thai Time Thai and Sushi Restaurant (formerly Thai House) has become a local favorite for anyone craving Thai food, fried rice, sushi, curry and everything in between. Start with fried calamari, fried wontons, vegetable spring rolls, gyoza or boom boom shrimp – crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy sweet chili sauce and green onions. Fried rice, curry, noodles and stir-fried entrees round out a robust menu

SAL & MOOKIE'S NEW YORK PIZZA AND ICE CREAM JOINT
Intriguing pizza combinations and a commitment to their New York-style make this 15-year-old Jackson restaurant a local treasure. Relocating to The District at Eastover in 2021, the red-checkered tablecloths, welcoming patio, and dough made from scratch daily made a move, too. Sal & Mookie’s also brought along their family-friendly ice cream scoop shop that opens to an outside pickup window for after-school treats on good weather days.

EUDORA'S MISSISSIPPI BRASSERIE

Located in The District at Eastover in the space previously occupied by Fine & Dandy, Eudora's - opened in fall 2023 - boasts a theme of classic Southern dishes with an elegant twist coupled with specialty craft cocktails infused with fresh, local ingredients. Dishes from the land, sea and sky are featured, including fresh Gulf oysters, and brunch is offered on the weekends. A stellar happy hour is offered 3pm-6pm each day and all day on Mondays.

APLOS
This charmer in the courtyard at Highland Village brings a Mediterranean slant to the spot. Here, Chef Alex Eaton distills quality ingredients, world travels and nuanced flavors to their essence for simplicity that sings. Counter service, the fresh and casual feel, a limited but enticing bar and a menu that intrigues rather than overwhelms all work in harmony.Lebanese, Greek and Italian cuisines flavor the menu. Hummus, stuffed grape leaves, wraps, Greek salad, and a half dozen pizza selections cruise past those influences with a tasty nod and a friendly wave. Happy Hour is seven days a week from 3-6 pm with half-priced pizzas and $2 Stella on draft

TUK TUK BOOM
A fusion of fresh Thai favorites and sushi rolls, Tuk Tuk Boom in Highland Village is perfect for when you’re craving something fresh, quick and with a refreshing coastal atmosphere. The menu here consists of traditional Thai dishes, poke bowls and salads, sushi, cocktails, and frozen drinks. The house poke bowl is made with sushi rice, avocado, spicy tuna, salmon, edamame, carrot, red onion, seaweed salad, sesame, and topped with Kabayaki sauce and Tuk Tuk sauce. If you’re looking for something with noodles, try the Spicy Beef Noodles, made with rice noodles, beef, wok egg, tomato, broccoli, onion, green beans, Thai basil. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with an island roll: seasoned tuna, crab, cucumber, avocado, sweet bell pepper and scallions, topped with pink sauce and Kabayaki sauce.

BRAVO! ITALIAN RESTAURANT & BAR
Since 1994, this restaurant has made comfort and satisfaction the name of their game. Fresh ingredients and experienced chefs are the reason BRAVO! has so many returning customers. From salads overflowing with freshly prepared vegetables, fruit and meat, to satisfying and soul-warming entrees like veal parmigiana, BRAVO! is an easy choice. Not only is the food delectable, but this restaurant specializes in wine, with a glass that pairs with each dish. They have everything from the deep tannins found in their pinot noir that pairs well with salmon to a tart and dry chardonnay to complement their angel hair pasta with scallops and shrimp.

LA COUR KITCHEN AND BAR
Inspired by the brasseries of Paris, La Cour is a melange of culinary influences, creating innovative, locally sourced dishes that celebrate the influences of French-meets-American Southern. Located in Highland Village’s picturesque courtyard, La Cour will be open for lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and late night. The restaurant will offer an excellent bar program featuring classic cocktails, wine, beer and espresso drinks, all set in a highly designed, curated interior that flows naturally into outdoor seating.

CHAR
Char’s comfortably classic ambiance swings from approachable Southern specials at lunch to white tablecloths, lower lights, high-end steaks and fresh Gulf seafood. Offering only the highest quality USDA beef, the restaurant is proud to serve guests delicious steaks and other classic dishes, including short ribs, fried Simmons catfish, no-filler crab cakes, crab claws and a variety of meat & two options for lunch. Plus, the restaurant offers one of the best weekend jazz brunch menus in town

ADDITIONAL HIGHLAND VILLAGE SPOTS