Hole in the Wall, Phillips Grocery

With the recent launch of www.dantnation.com I've decided to step up my game. I'm going to take you guys on a little adventure down the back woods to a little place called Phillips Grocery. Now, when it comes to Oxford, MS, the food scene is extensive and diverse. For all you college kids looking for a good pregame with great food this is your place. For all of you non-natives looking for a taste of the town.... look no further. First of all Phillips does not serve alcohol, but the cool thing is they do brown bag. If you've never brown bagged it's just BYOB (liquor) essentially. The atmosphere is very original they have unique pictures and a very quaint shack type location.To start out there is only one option for an appetizer as far as I see, the corn nuggets. Your probably saying corn nuggets? Take my word for it, they are some serious fire. Somehow they roll a bunch corn together and fry it in a way it looks like chicken nuggets. They're perfect. I know I probably had you at fried. Seriously though, this is the stuff of legends, Paula Deen worthy. Phillips has been considered to have the best burger in town. I would tend to agree. Always go with the cheeseburger and bacon, and as a side you have to get the seasoned fries! They also have amazing sweet potato fries. If your not a fan of burgers and your looking for a little afternoon delight try out the shrimp po boy or catfish(fried, naturally).This is the most "Oxford" restaurant that I've been to. It's a great place to pre-game the bars, and a great place to take your family to. I've brought my family here numerous times, and they haven't been let down. It's a great taste of the town, and cheaper than virtually everything on the square. It's a regular staple to my diet. Not to brag or anything, but I have a damn good diet. Good food, good times, on the reg.

~DantNation

The Infamous- Big Bowl

"HERRO WELCOME TO BIG BURWL",the greeting I recive every time I go to Big Bowl(now named Noodle Bowl, but thats the last time we'll mention that). I love these people like my own family. When we come back from vacation they get so excited, they asked me "We thought you moved..." Well I've got knews for you Harry Kho, I haven't moved. Big Bowl is a regular staple in my diet. There are levels you need to follow when you go to Big Bowl. First you gracially accept the free appetizer given to you, normally teriyaki popcorn shrimp and a possible crab stuffed pancake. Then for your actual appetizer I would recommend the Chicken Wontons or Crab and cheese wontons. If your a soup person, go with the wonton. You wont regret it. Best wonton soup in the Western Hemisphere. Ask for the crunchies for your soup though of course. Now when it comes to the Entree. I would always go with General Tao chicken, or the Lobster tempura roll. If your a fan of the spicy delicatessen then go with Pad Tai Chicken (spicy). With anything you choose you have to order yum yum sauce. This is the dagger. Yum Yum sauce has kind of become an addiction of some sorts for me. It's kind of a problem. A problem I've ignored, and will continue to ignore. If your feeling lucky order a vile of the desert sake, Strawberry if given the choice. It's an amazing palate cleanser. On top of all the great food and great times, Big Bowl has the best customer service of any restaurant I've ever been to. They treat you like family, one time my girlfriend Katie was sick and I went to eat there. They asked where she was, and when I told them she was sick, they brought out a to go cup of Wonton soup on the house. These people are the real deal. This restaurant is hands down receives the Dant-Nation stamp of appreciation. So to Peter, Harry Kho and the gang, I appreciate it all.

Much Love,
Dant~Nation

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Now I'm pretty new to the BBQ scene overall, I was pretty anti up until I moved down to Mississippi. Boy was I missing out. The BBQ down here is out of this world. Soulshine Pizza has the absolute best BBQ chicken pizza I have EVER had. This crust is made with brown sugar.... Mix that sweetness in with the tangy sauce and grilled chicken and you are looking at a pizza worthy of the great ones. Personally I think they have the best BBQ sauce in town. They really seem to use brown sugar effectively. If you've never cooked BBQ with brown sugar, then well I really truly feel sorry for you. If I were to tell you I've been back in Oxford for 2 weeks and I haven't eaten at Soulshine. I would be lying, because I have. 3 times. Most people would say you have a problem, I would say go big or go home. When the goings good... keep going. So before you go to the freezer aisle and pick up California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken, think again. Go to Soulshine, its the egg mcmuffin (trademark MCDS) of BBQ pizza.

~Dantnation