Variety literally is the spice of Moreno McCalpin’s life.
McCalpin, 44, is the founder of Mane Street Seasonings, a line of spices and rubs that all have a touch of Memphis to them.
A Memphis native, McCalpin now lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a chemist as well as running his spice business. He lived in South Memphis until he moved in with his great-grandmother in Midtown when he was 5 years old. “She was the cook of the family. When it came to all the holidays or whatever it was, the central focus of our house was our great-grandmother.”
McCalpin was into sports as a kid, but his bedroom was next to the kitchen, so he was always popping in to ask what his great-grandmother was cooking.
To spice up her food, his great-grandmother used her four seasonings — seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and garlic salt. “Pepper flakes every now and then. Peppers in the garden, she cut those up. She grew herbs every now and then. But those four were her staples. And I kept it in my mind.”
McCalpin worked as a server at Shoney’s when he was in high school. But, he says, “I got back there with the chef and I cooked a little bit.”
He got into cooking seriously at 19 while pursuing his biology and chemistry major at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. A tradition in his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, was for the new pledges to cook for the returning alumni during homecoming festivities. Remembering his first time on the grill during one of those weekends, McCalpin says, “I failed miserably. I just served raw food, man.”
After that, he was determined to cook something good. “My first meal I ever made was a bowl of chili. It didn’t turn out that well, but it was edible. But, as college kids, we ate it.”
McCalpin began experimenting with different ingredients to keep his chili from being bland. He reached out to his great-grandmother for advice. Soon, McCalpin became the designated cook at his fraternity house.
“I wanted my food to stand out,” he says. “Being a young male, I’m trying to impress my girlfriend at the time. I started playing around with different flavors and different seasonings. I still had the four basic seasonings at the house, but I wanted to expand on those things.”
About eight years ago, McCalpin came up with his own Cajun seasoning. “It tastes like New Orleans, but it’s still got that Bluff City magic in it.”
Which is the common denominator for all of his spices. “The rooted flavors will always be Memphis.”
McCalpin’s original dream was to open a food truck, but his wife, Kelley L. Carter, encouraged him to make and sell some of his spices.
McCalpin, who found a manufacturer in Memphis, launched Mane Street Seasonings on September 1st — 901 Day — 2025. “I wanted everyone to know this is a Memphis thing.”
“Aye Mane, Say Mane” is his all-purpose seasoning. The name is an “all-purpose greeting for everything.” “Out Da Mud” is his Cajun seasoning. The name refers to rising from poverty to moving up in life. “Red Magic,” his apple bourbon seasoning and rub, is “smooth, a little sweet, but a little tangy.” The name harkens back to the apple tree in his backyard when he was growing up. And “Toss Junt” is his chicken seasoning.
McCalpin’s new spices, which are slated to come out in mid to late October, are “Peachy Mane,” a peach brandy seasoning and rub; “Smoky City,” a whiskey, maple, and mesquite blend; and “You Hear Me!,” a tequila lime seasoning.
McCalpin’s background as a chemist helped him create his spices. “As a chemist, you experiment with things. And I experiment with food when I’m putting this together. It goes hand in hand for me.”
Currently, Mane Street Seasonings are available at Johnnie Mae’s restaurant at 969 East McLemore in South Memphis. McCalpin plans to have his spices in more stores by the end of October. His products also are available online at manestreetseasonings.com.
So the question begs to be asked: “Why don’t you move back to Memphis?”
“My wife won’t allow me,” McCalpin says with a laugh. Their plan is, for now, to stay in Los Angeles, where his wife is an entertainment journalist working for ABC News and ESPN Andscape. “Once we get her career where it needs to be, my plan is always to be back home in some way.”
