The coffee shop culture may have taken its time getting to Mississippi, but when it did a few years ago, it came on with a fervor. If you are a friend of mine, then you know that you can find me almost any day at the Greenhouse on Porter in Ocean Springs. It is one of the most unique coffee shops around, featuring not only coffee and tea, but craft beer, and some of the most amazing, and creative, homemade biscuits you will find anywhere. There is music on the weekends, poetry and trivia night as well.
If you are a fan, which you certainly should be, I have good news for you: the Greenhouse now has a new location in Biloxi, just off Veiux Marche, where the old Subway used to be. The menu will be similar to the Ocean Springs location, with creative biscuit ideas that change daily, parfaits, biscuit sandwiches, and more good things to come in the near future.
Speaking of new places, have you ever lived in a community where so many new restaurants open on a regular basis? Just recently Parrain’s Jambalaya Kitchen, Rooftop Tacos and Tequila, Tap and Crust, Puff Belly’s Brewery Pizza and Grill, and the Tap Book, Bar and Bistreaux have opened. And there is more to come! I wonder if it is a sign of a good economy or just a product of the Gulf Coast’s status as a tourist destination?
I know I have talked about this before, but the Coast not only has hundreds of good places to eat, the diversity of the food offered is nothing short of astonishing. You can find modern American at Vestige, serious farm to table in an upscale, but comfortable environment at White Pillars, stunningly good smoked meats and BBQ at Smokehouse Bayou, amazing pho at Henry’s Bakery and Cafe, the best roast beef po-boy you ever had at Quave Brother’s, seriously good Italian at Stalla, and the most romantic fine dining place anywhere at Thirty-Two.
If you are not a serious foodie, I challenge you to change your ways. Take a chance and try something you have never had before, like a smoked salmon and caper biscuit at the Greenhouse, or the seven layer dip martini at Roof Top Tacos. But being a foodie isn’t all about food, its also about who you take with you on your food adventures. Remember, the companionship is more important that the food, right?
