Bellissimo: Italian cars take center stage at Cedar Grove’s wine dinner
Published 6:49 am Sunday, March 23, 2025
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Chip Chudy, Bobby Gill, Paul McNeil and Andy Menapase posing near a car.
Tristian Bluehorse leans against one of the vehicles.
Pictured, clockwise from left, are Bobby Gill, Paul McNeil, Pat Cashman, Chip Chudy, Andy Menapase and Tristian Bluehorse at The Inn at Cedar Grove.
Cedar Grove owner Kendra Reed poses with several Italian cars. (Submitted photos)
Patrons didn’t have to pull out their passports Wednesday night to experience a little bit of Italy.
Those dining at Cedar Grove for the monthly wine dinners had the pleasure of enjoying an Italian dinner paired with complementary vini, of course. They also got to feast their eyes on some bella macchine — that means beautiful cars in Italian — from new and vintage Ferraris to several models of Alfa Romeo and a Maserati.
“So, this was our Italian night,” Cedar Grove owner Kendra Reed said. And to add a bit of flare to the evening, Reed said she wanted to do more than just serve spaghetti and meatballs. So, when she asked her husband, “What’s something fancy Italian we could do?” he responded with, “What about cars?”
“And that’s when the light bulb went off,” Reed said.
She immediately began doing research on Italian models, which led her to Vicksburg resident Parker Hall, who not only owns a beautiful vintage Ferrari himself, but also knew several car aficionados who had no problem showing of their bella macchine during Cedar Groves’ Italian wine dinner.
Arriving to enjoy an evening out with his wife Barbara, Vicksburg resident Pat Cashman drove to Cedar Grove in a red vintage Ferrari. Pat said he had been collecting vintage cars since the early 70s, and the Italian-made vehicle was just one of many in his collection. Cashman said Ferraris stand out among other cars.
“I guess it’s the mystique about the Italian 12-cylinder engine,” he said. “The English cars were four-cylinders; dumpy little things. But you had the Italians with the 12-cylinder, along with the pedigree and the racing history.”
Chip Chudy, owner of exotic car dealership Motorcars of Jackson, said he drove down in his Alfa Romeo for the event because he was invited by a “very good friend and car enthusiast” and to have the opportunity to get his Italian model out on the road.
As a dealer, Chudy said it’s a “different clientele” that buys exotic cars.
“They form a community,” he said. “And they have to have a love of cars and then if you have that, there are so many to choose from.”
Tristian Bluehorse has a love of cars. And even though he is still quite young, Bluehorse said he has loved cars since he was a child.
“When I was about eight years old is when I started getting into cars and ever since then I have kept that passion,” he said, adding he started out owning Japanese and German cars.
Now Bluehorse, who is originally from New Mexico and is currently working in Vicksburg, drives a 2018 TI Q4 AWD Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Other car owners who were at Wednesday’s Italian wine dinner included Bobby Gill, Tom Hickman and Paul McNeill.
About Terri Cowart Frazier
Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”
Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.
Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.
Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.
“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’
