This was a Friday night in 1978. Malcolm White, who planned to settle in New Orleans, was visiting Jackson. His Booneville buddy, the late Michael Rubenstein, then a popular Jackson TV sportscaster, suggested they dine at The Mayflower Cafe. And dine they did.

“The place was packed and there was a line waiting outside, and it seemed everyone knew everyone, and of course everyone knew Rube,” White remembers. “The fish was fantastic, the vibe even better. Everybody seemed to be smiling and laughing between bites. I looked a couple tables over and there sat Miss Eudora (Welty), herself, and of course she was having as much fun as everyone else. It just felt like home. It was definitely my kind of place. I had a similar experience at the old Cerami’s at the Reservoir the night before. But tha

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