Mississippi Food Trails

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The Olde Tyme Delicatessen was a longtime Jackson restaurant located in Highland Village Shopping Center. The deli opened in August 1961 and operated for 39 years before closing in 2000.

Olde Tyme Delicatessen became known for authentic Jewish deli fare, including Reuben sandwiches, split pea soup, cheesecake, pastries, and wooden barrel pickles. It also served items such as matzah ball soup, kugel, and other traditional dishes that were difficult to find elsewhere in Mississippi at the time.

For many Jewish families across Mississippi, the deli became an important stop when traveling through Jackson. Before specialty foods were widely available in grocery stores, congregations around the state often placed orders with the deli for Passover foods and other Jewish products, which were shipped out by bus.

The restaurant also drew a large local following beyond the Jewish community. Regular customers gathered there daily for coffee, sandwiches, and conversation, making it a longtime gathering place in the city.

For nearly four decades, The Olde Tyme Delicatessen was a staple of Jackson’s dining scene. Many residents still remember it as the best deli in the area and one of the city’s most distinctive restaurants.

Located just outside Belzoni in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Sky Lake Wildlife Management Area offers a rare glimpse into one of the South’s most extraordinary natural treasures — a sprawling old-growth bald cypress swamp that has stood for more than a millennium.

Sky Lake protects one of the finest remaining old-growth cypress swamps in the South. Some of the oldest and largest bald cypress trees in the world stand here, with several estimated to be over 1,000 years old. One of the largest measures an astonishing 47 feet in circumference — a living witness to a thousand years of Mississippi history.

The swamp spans portions of Humphreys and Leflore counties and remains one of the most ecologically significant areas in the region.