January's Restaurant of the Month: MIXX 165

January's Restaurant of the Month, MIXX 165, sponsored by Your Hometown Techs.

Congratulations to January's Restaurant of the Month, MIXX 165, sponsored by Your Hometown Techs. Learn more about their passion for food, creative kitchen staff, and mission to support the community.

Owner(s): Brad Winner and the Winner Family

Favorite Menu Item: It's hard for me to select just one as we do many rotating specials and seasonal offerings, but recently I've really been enjoying our Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Puree off of our seasonal Fresh MIXX menu. 
I'm also a huge fan of our Burger of The Month Program, I regularly eat the crazy, flavor-packed burgers the chefs put together. 

If you didn't own a restaurant what would you do?: The Food Industry runs in my blood, my parents have owned and operated grocery stores my entire life, so I grew up with food being part of our everyday conversations; it's difficult to imagine being in another field. I love being involved in the community and also enjoy live entertainment, so I'd have to say either public service or concert promotion. 

Do you have a secret menu?: I wouldn't necessarily say it is a secret item (we like to share our creations with the world), but our "Pickle Juice" chicken wings started out as a staff member's creation and our regulars fell in love with it. Though the name is deceiving, there is no pickles or pickle juice used in the sauce, it was named after the staff member who created them; our buddy Dylan Booth was referred to as Mr. Pickles by the team and regularly mixed our Strawberry Jalapeno BBQ sauce with Cajun Dry Rub to create a delicious, sweet and spicy sauce that thousands of people have tried over the years. The "Pickle Juice" wings were so popular as an off-menu item that we added them to the core menu so new diners would be made aware of them.

How did you decide on your menu?: Our menu is a combination of dishes that we enjoy personally and the rest is built off the input of our team and customers. Our kitchen is a collaborative environment, so our chefs have free reign to explore different dishes and flavors, most of the specials and limited time features are items that the team developed.

What's your why?:  I've been a foodie for a long time, when I travel I look for independently owned establishments that offer quality food and some of the best meals have come from small gastropubs, so I wanted to bring that model to our community. I also enjoy the opportunities that are presented by being in a smaller community, getting to know customers and organizations on personal level is very rewarding. Every month we partner with a different organization to help raise funds for various causes, we are proud that our "Good Eats!" program has raised roughly $40,000 since it's inception; our customers have really bought into the mission and love to see their money going to work locally for school programs, non-profit causes and other community based needs.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Restaurant of the Month, click here to learn more!