Tarasque: Cooking with Dragon’s Fire
Tarasque: a mythical, dragon-like creature who brought about fear, destruction and death to villages in the hills of Provence, France, until the creature was eventually tamed with hymns, prayers and kindness by Saint Martha - the Patron Saint of cooks.
The image of the Tarasque appears on the original cover of the Joy of Cooking - a book that most cooks refer to as "The Bible of Cooking.” Tarasque is also, hands-down, THE BEST restaurant in Oxford, Mississippi.
Tarasque is owned and operated by John and Lauren Stokes . There are no neon signs or flashing lights, no two-for-one well drinks, no cheese dip. Only sublime food made from scratch, sourcing local and seasonal ingredients by Chef John and his small, loyal Tarasque gangsta kitchen posse.
Tarasque is a small Italian Cucina located in an unassuming house on Jackson Avenue which was once owned by the Kiamie family in Oxford. The set menu is loaded with delicious pasta dishes, my personal favorite being the Rigatoni. The man daily makes his own Italian sausage with just the right amount of fennel and roasted fresh red peppers just for this dish.
Most restaurants in the modern world have decided this is too labor intensive, so they opt for flavorless sausage without a soul, and canned peppers.
John came up the "real" way in the business, starting at the bottom as a dishwasher, working his way up through the ranks in some of Oxford’s best kitchens. He is an old school chef in his cooking style, but he has a new-school mindset in the way he runs his kitchen.
John understands food is beautiful, should be treated with respect, and first and foremost, be delicious and taste good. The difference between average and ordinary is attention to detail; it's what takes a dish to the next level and creates an experience. He does not cut corners.
Let me just say again – Tarasque is THE BEST restaurant in Oxford, Mississippi.
Sourcing local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible means the Tarasque small plate menu is in a constant state of evolution. Let me be clear, the average chef does not have the ability or the mindset to change menu items daily. We are creatures of rhythm and habit and one of the things that makes us tick as cooks is routine. Just ask my business partner, Alexe - I drive her crazy at the BTC with all my processes and routines.
You have to get to a point with your craft where you have the confidence in yourself and the food that you cook to start fresh every day, just because today was the day the turnips really spoke to you. I respect John’s chef game because it’s strong and because John puts a piece of himself on every plate.
Simple. Pure. Humble. Delicious.
Run, don't walk, next time you are in Oxford to Tarasque, and visit Chef John Stokes and his baby – Tarasque. Sit at a table made of reclaimed wood from the legendary Kiamie Bowling Lanes and settle in for an experience, not just a meal.
Tell the chef that Dixie sent y`all and that you heard he cooks with the dragon’s fire.