Browsing: Food & Dining

For a stretch of land that isn’t all that large, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast delivers in a big way when it comes to food. Truly—it’s a cornucopia. And not just in quantity, but in variety.

Lost Spring Brew Pub is my nightly hangout—at least for one small cup of wine. It’s relaxed, easy, and filled with a friendly, interesting crowd. Most evenings, there’s local music drifting through, and it’s the kind of place where time slows down just enough. A laid-back night, done right.

Johnathan Swift said “He was a brave man who first ate an oyster,” but people on the Mississippi Coast overcame that prejudice a long time ago and oysters have always been an important part not only their diet, but the industry that made the coast the wealthy place it was. Today the industry is highly regulated with harvested oysters required to be inspected by the Bureau of Marine Resources before coming ashore.

In these days of relative prosperity for Biloxi, many people have forgotten how poor Biloxi was before gaming came to town. The story is that Biloxi was on its knees, and several local business men got together to discuss if there was anything they could do to revive the economy. Gaming seemed the only option.

If Mississippi had an official comfort food of the internet era, Mississippi Pot Roast would be a strong contender. It’s rich, savory, ridiculously easy to make, and somehow tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen—even though your slow cooker did most of the work.

Two student teams from Mississippi State’s Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion have advanced to the finals of the Research Chefs Association’s National Innovation Competition, set this week in Westminster, Colorado.

When I was working for the newspaper, I wrote a weekly story on local restaurants, and I wasn’t supposed to repeat the same restaurant twice. That’s 52 a year, which goes along with our saying that the Coast has a huge diversity of great places to eat.

I have to admit it, I have a thing for dive bars. They are normally local hang outs, with lots of local color. My current favorite is the Cash Alley Garage in Ocean Springs.  It has a 1970s inspired atmosphere and serious comfort food. When you get the a hankering for good food and a cool atmosphere, this is the place to go.

If you are a true foodie, a little bit of heaven is waiting for you at the Lee International Market on Division Steet in Biloxi. It’s the largest Asian market in the state and is loaded with wonderful and unusual finds. It was proceeded by two smaller markets on Howard Avenue on the Point in Biloxi (East Biloxi), that eventually morphed (and moved) into the huge Lee Market.

I like Rouses Grocery Store. It is clean, well-stocked with knowledgeable employees and a diverse selection of quality things to eat. They have a small buffet that usually has a good selection that changes daily. With classics to eat, like fried chicken and mac and cheese (my favorite).

One of my favorite things in the world is a good, made from scratch pizza. As far as I am concerned the chains, the ones that deliver, just don’t get it. Hands down, the best has got to be Sicilian II on Pass Road in Biloxi and that’s not just for pizza, everything they serve is just great. The Sicilian Greek salad is amazing, as is the stuffed manicotti, the linguine, and calzone. You just can’t go wrong at Sicilian II, but the pizza is a must, it is life changing.

For many years I wrote a weekly restaurant review that had one caveat, I couldn’t write about the same restaurant twice.  That’s 52 new restaurants a year! So, yes, I think it is fair to say that the coast has a plethora of good places to eat. We have local po-boy places, a hand full of good Vietnamese shops, Greek, fine dining with some of the best steaks ever (Thirty-Two) and even a few places that make crazy good fried baloney sandwiches!

The number and variety of restaurants along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is impressive. From fine dining to Greek, Vietnamese, and Korean cuisine—along with classic po-boy shops—there is truly something for every taste. Among these standouts is The Greenhouse Biloxi, located on Ohr Street just off Howard Avenue.

Chicago has its deep-dish pizza, and foodies flock to Philadelphia for Philly cheesesteaks. Down in New Orleans, the po-boy has a long and storied history. In Oxford, the iconic food most identified with the town is the humble chicken on a stick.

Making a holiday meal is certainly time-consuming, but if you plan ahead and make more than you need, as we all almost do, there is an extra benefit. it provides a world of possibilities for leftover ideas (just make sure you use that handy vacuum sealer to keep leftovers fresh for as long as possible). People tend to get tired of being served leftover turkey for days after the big meal, but if you jazz/spice it up a bit your diners will be happy to see that turkey again and again. 

For many years, before covid turned our world upside down, I enjoyed having three or four people over for Sunday bunch. I spent a lot of time getting ready, preparing a menu, cleaning, polishing the silver and selecting a good bottle of wine for each course and even ironing the cloth napkins