Mississippi Magic

t was Columbus Day weekend, and the big deal in the Mississippi Delta was, by all accounts, the King Biscuit Blues Festival, just across the river in Helena, Arkansas. But while the Staple Singers and others got most of the headlines here in Memphis, a culinary event of equally grand proportions, held Sunday evening an hour further south down Highway 61 in Cleveland, went unreported. Until now, that is.

What if I told you that the chef on the cover of this month's Gourmet magazine (Craig Shelton of the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse, New Jersey) was cooking that night in Cleveland? And what if I told you he was joined by such gustatory luminaries as Jamie Shannon from Commander's Palace in New Orleans, Don Yamauchi from Gordon's in Chicago, and Christopher Gross from Christopher's in Phoenix? If you knew nothing about Cleveland, you'd probably accuse me of inhaling too much cotton defoliant.

But if you've been down that way at all, you'll know that Cleveland, Mississippi, is anything but a depressed Delta town, thanks to the presence of a major pharmaceutical manufacturing facility and to Delta State University, whose 9,000 students call Cleveland home during the school year. You also probably know, then, that Cleveland is also home to Mississippi's finest restaurant, a restaurant called KC's, which, despite its unlikely location, could also lay claim to being one of the finest anywhere in the South as well.

Run by brothers Don and Wally Joe ("KC" is their father), this new Delta treasure, with its distinctive California mission-style design, has put Cleveland on the national culinary map in unmistakable fashion. Wally Joe has created a distinctive cuisine that merges the latest California and Continental trends with his Chinese heritage. Meanwhile brother Don Joe, cellarmaster and maitre d', maintains a restaurant wine cellar that puts all those in Memphis to shame. On a average night, you can eat as well if not better in Cleveland, Mississippi, as anywhere else in America.

But Sunday, October 12th was no ordinary night at KC's. The event was the third annual "Mississippi Friends of the James Beard Foundation" benefit dinner, an event for which six chefs from all across America came to Cleveland to work alongside Wally Joe to prepare a truly spectacular feast. James Beard, of course, is generally considered the "Father of American Cooking," and the New York-based foundation that bears his name is dedicated to recognizing and promoting all aspects of the culinary arts. Beard dinners like this are held all over America (one was staged here in Memphis earlier this month), allowing chefs to broaden their horizons and benefit from working alongside their peers at places they might otherwise never visit.

It took some effort, of course, for the six guest chefs and 175 patrons to find their way to Cleveland, but thanks to the gracious hospitality served up by Dr. Bennie Wright, a local surgeon, at his home the previous evening, the staff was in fine form for Sunday night's extravaganza. Space prohibits my detailing the menu in full; suffice it to say that it was only spectacular. My two favorite courses? A perfectly flavored grilled tournedo of sea scallops with chanterelles and leek confit, with wild mushroom vinaigrette, prepared by Sanford D'Amato from Sanford's in Milwaukee, and an otherworldly caramel-chocolate bread pudding with a mango-banana compote and caramel pine nut sauce, the creation of Bruno Feldeisen, executive pastry chef with the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City.

Excellent wines were served throughout, making the tax-deductible cost of $150 per person quite a bargain. The event is open to the public, and given the box-office success of the three Beard dinners in Cleveland, a fourth seems a sure bet this time next year. If we're lucky, it will be King Biscuit Blues Festival time again, allowing Delta weekenders the same wonderful music and food experience we enjoyed this year.

Call down now to KC's (601-843-5301) to get put on next year's mailing list. Better yet, make a pilgrimage to Cleveland before then, so you can see for yourself what miracles Wally and Don work in the Delta. It's a two-hour drive, and Cleveland has plenty of decent hotel rooms, so that you come back peacefully the following morning. One last word of advice: When you go, ask Wally to do a pris fixe menu; he knows a lot more about fine food than you and I ever will.