by Malcolm Morrow
1693 Redzone Grill has dishes such as shrimp creole. Photo courtesy Devna Bose
For the past two years, 30-year-old New Orleans native Mike Mosley has been serving up Cajun-inspired cuisine to Jacksonians and getting widespread acclaim for his culinary creations at 1693 Redzone Grill, where he is the chef and co-owner.
Though Mosley has been cooking since age 13, he says that he didn't get involved in working in the restaurant industry until after he graduated from Jackson State University with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2010.
"I had difficulty finding a job in my field due to lack of experience, so I got a job as dishwasher at a five-star restaurant in New Orleans," he says, "It was a very humbling experience but within two years I worked my way up to being the head of the kitchen."
He moved back to Jackson in 2012 to be with his wife, Kenita Mosley, whom he married a year prior.
"I had difficulty finding a job in my field due to lack of experience, so I got a job as dishwasher at a five-star restaurant in New Orleans," he says, "It was a very humbling experience but within two years I worked my way up to being the head of the kitchen."
He moved back to Jackson in 2012 to be with his wife, Kenita Mosley, whom he married a year prior.
A customer orders food at 1693 Redzone Grill’s front counter. Photo courtesy Devna Bose The former Jackson State University football player and track-and-field athlete has no formal training in the culinary arts; however, he says that cooking has been a major part of his life since he could remember.
"I learned how to cook by watching my family members growing up," Mosley says. "My mom and grandma taught me a lot. All of the men in my family are chefs and cook very well."
One of the customers' favorite items at 1693 Redzone has been the bourbon sauce, which Mosley says is his attempt at taking his New Orleans heritage and putting his own spin on it to create his unique blend.
Mosley says that one of his aims with the restaurant is also to show young people that they don't have to limit themselves. He says that many of his staff members are teenagers getting ready to head to college.
"You don't have to work in the field of your major or pursue the goals you set when you're young," he says. "Life always finds a way of taking you where it wants you to be."
Mike also think it is important for young people to learn to cook.
"It's mandatory for my teenage workers to learn to cook because it is such an important life skill," Mosley says. "It also gives them experience that can help them with future endeavors."
1693 Redzone Grill (1693 Beasley Road) is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The business is closed on Sunday. For more information, call 769.524.6803 or find the business on Facebook.
"I learned how to cook by watching my family members growing up," Mosley says. "My mom and grandma taught me a lot. All of the men in my family are chefs and cook very well."
One of the customers' favorite items at 1693 Redzone has been the bourbon sauce, which Mosley says is his attempt at taking his New Orleans heritage and putting his own spin on it to create his unique blend.
Mosley says that one of his aims with the restaurant is also to show young people that they don't have to limit themselves. He says that many of his staff members are teenagers getting ready to head to college.
"You don't have to work in the field of your major or pursue the goals you set when you're young," he says. "Life always finds a way of taking you where it wants you to be."
Mike also think it is important for young people to learn to cook.
"It's mandatory for my teenage workers to learn to cook because it is such an important life skill," Mosley says. "It also gives them experience that can help them with future endeavors."
1693 Redzone Grill (1693 Beasley Road) is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The business is closed on Sunday. For more information, call 769.524.6803 or find the business on Facebook.
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