A takery, lunch spot, and catering business
by Mark H Stowers
The Bolivar Bullet
There’s no excuse for going hungry these days in Bolivar County. Christina Morris has been feeding the general population since 2004 first at Cleveland Commons. She’s had locations behind Heidi’s, on North Street and in her current kitchen at 331 Cotton Row for the past decade, Christina’s Exquisite Edibles.
“We have a lunch special every day. We make everything from scratch and I buy everything from the local grocery store. I don’t buy anything from food trucks,” said Morris. “I like everything fresh, every day.”
From chicken salads that are “hand pulled and hand packed” every day, fresh and homemade and delicious. Morris draws from her Italian heritage to create such favorites as lasagna, chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan and chicken spaghetti.
“My lasagna is probably my best seller,” she said.
Morris credits her grandmother’s Italian influence on her as the original immigrant “was a great cook and she could make something amazing out of nothing. You could walk in her house and smell that parmesan cheese and olive oil and garlic.”
Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Morris and her staff also stay busy with catering and providing for special events in and around Bolivar County.
“We do parties, we take food to other venues, me make sandwich trays, fruit trays, homemade dips and cheeseballs,” she said. “We provide party trays of all kinds with meatballs and bacon wrapped chicken and more.”
New England Chicken Salad, Ashley’s Southern Style Chicken Salad, Grilled Pimento Cheese sandwiches, salad plates, wraps that include turkey and southwest chicken can be found on the menu. There are daily lunch specials and seasonal soups as well. Morris, a Memphis native, found her way to the Delta when her sister married a farmer near Doddsville. She met her husband Terry at the annual Octoberfest 25 years ago. She enjoys coming to work and feeding anyone and everyone each day.
“I’m doing what I love and loving what I do so that doesn’t make it work,” she said. “I’ve been truly blessed.”