Opening Soon At The Arts Center: THE KITCHEN

TONY STINNETT, Courier Co-Editor


Opening Soon At The Arts Center: THE KITCHEN

CHEF MURPHREE
Cannon County residents will soon have an additional lunch and dinner alternative when THE KITCHEN at the Cannon County Arts Center opens for business July 8.

According to Mitchell Murphree, owner and chef of THE KITCHEN at the Arts Center, the new restaurant will open for lunch two days of the week, dinner three nights and brunch one afternoon. The business, which will utilize a meat-and-three format, will be open for lunch July 8, Murphree said.

"We are going to take the idea of the meat-and-three to a new level but with an eye on the price, a well," Murphree said. "We won't price ourselves out of the market. We have been supporters and sponsors of the Art Center on a couple of occasions (through a previous relationship with Five Senses Restaurant in Murfreesboro) and we are pleased to be part of what they are doing."

One of the twists to the new business is that local farmers and business will benefit. Murphree said produce and other items used in cooking and preparation will be purchased from them locally.

"We will have the standard fare but we will put a different spin on things," Murphree said. "We have good relationships with the local farmers so we will use some of their produce. We will purchase some of the meal and flour from the Readyville Mill and have cornbread and biscuits made from scratch daily. Our main thing is doing a lot of things from scratch with all the cutting, prepping and preparing is done by us daily. All desserts will be made from scratch. There will be very little pre-made."

Murphree said THE KITCHEN at the Arts Center also will offer a soup of the day and salad.

THE KITCHEN at the Arts Center will be open for lunch Thursday and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4-9 p.m., and a Sunday brunch will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If the demand is there, Murphree said THE KITCHEN's lunch schedule will be expanded to include other days of the week. He also said THE KITCHEN will be in operation any time there is an event at The Arts Center.