Local 463

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Story Behind Local 463

Local 463 Urban Kitchen is owned and operated by award-winning Chef Derek Emerson and his wife and business partner, Jennifer Emerson. It sits inside the Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and has earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — recognition that reflects the care put into both the kitchen and the cellar.

Chef Derek Emerson's path to Mississippi is anything but straightforward. Born and raised in Beverly Hills, California, he traveled extensively with his father, a professional photographer, absorbing cuisines from around the world. Summers spent with his grandparents in Mississippi planted early roots, and he eventually moved to the state as a teenager. After early kitchen work at Brick Oven and BRAVO! restaurant, he trained at culinary school in Memphis, then sharpened his craft in Atlanta at well-regarded establishments including Nava, Buckhead Bread Company, Blueridge Grill, and Dick & Harry's — where the restaurant was voted Best New Restaurant by Atlanta Magazine during his tenure.

Returning to Mississippi, Derek took the Executive Chef role at Schimmel's Fine Dining, where he met Jennifer. The two went on to purchase Jackson landmark Walker's Drive-In in 2001, and Derek has since been a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South. Local 463 represents the next chapter in that ongoing story.

Jennifer Emerson brings her own deep roots to the partnership. A Brandon, Mississippi native with a background in English and graduate studies, she grew up around the restaurant world — her aunt and uncle ran the beloved Belmont Café in downtown Jackson for forty-five years. Her experience spans front-of-house coordination and restaurant management, including a stint running The Southside Grill in Chattanooga.

What's on the Table

The cooking at Local 463 is American cuisine with a distinctly southern character and a confident, cosmopolitan edge. Chef Emerson sources fresh local and regional ingredients and shapes them into dishes that feel both familiar and considered. Highlights mentioned by the restaurant itself include Florida Rock Shrimp Pizza, Fresh Lump Crabmeat, Crème Brûlée, and Mississippi Fruit Cobbler — southern comfort food that doesn't stay in its lane.

The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and accommodates private parties and catering through a dedicated dining program. For those who want to explore the wine list that earned Wine Spectator's notice, reservations for dinner are strongly recommended.

Local 463 is part of the broader Emerson Eats family of concepts, a testament to how deeply Derek and Jennifer have woven themselves into Mississippi's dining fabric.