Sleek modern building and stellar old-fashioned home cooking: this buffet-style restaurant is gaining a reputation for some of the best soul food on the Mississippi coast. 
- by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson 

At lunch recently, the fried chicken and smothered pork chops were front and center on the buffet line and both were first rate.

The chicken, billed as Dunk's Famous Fried Chicken, was crispy, well seasoned and moist, the pork chops were fork-tender in a dark gravy and the mac and cheese was hearty. A fellow diner raved about the sweet potato casserole topped with tiny marshmallows.
 
Dunklin, who cooks all the food at Dunk’s, said the fried chicken is by far the most popular dish, followed by her red beans. “The fried chicken is our no. 1 seller,” she said. Her secret: the mix of seasonings. Like a lot of good cooks, she wouldn’t reveal much else about the process or ingredients.

​Dunklin said that the Sunday buffett has developed a following. Little wonder. Consider a recent “Super Sunday Menu”: marinated BBQ’d baby back ribs, Italian marinated baked chicken, Southern-style seasoned greens, chicken and seafood gumbo (that gets shout outs on the website) and lima beans with smoked neck bone. Plus that famous fried chicken and homemade sweet cornbread.
 
And, yes, there are assorted cakes, pies and cobblers for dessert for those who pace themselves.
 
Prices for the buffet are $10.69 Monday through Thursday and $12.69 Friday through Sunday for adults. Children can eat for $6.99 weekdays and $7.99 on weekends. Carry out boxes start at $8.99.

A local chef who studied in the world capital of chocolate confections offers up divine treats in time for Valentine's Day.
 - story by Lisa Monti, photography by Julie Ragusa 

Ragusa took advantage of being in the middle of that chocolate-rich culture as part of her professional development. “I learned everything I could about chocolate,” she said, including making a vegan, organic version. She formed her own small chocolate company and hosted parties, pairing chocolates with wine and champagne, and taught classes on chocolate-making with dairy alternatives.
 
Now, she’s about to branch out into truffle-making as a side enterprise. The truffles come in two rich parts: a chocolate ganache center and a coating of high quality chocolate that gives it a crunchy shell. Then the truffle is topped with nuts, coconut or sea salt, taking it to another eye-rolling level.

​“I’m so excited about working with chocolate,” she said. “I love coming up with new flavors.”
 
For Valentine’s Day, the Mockingbird will have red velvet cake, heart-shaped King cakes and a double chocolate cake topped with chocolate truffles. Chef Ragusa personally will be making and selling handmade chocolate truffles in an assortment of flavors for purchase through her Facebook page or via Mockingbird Cafe. Look for prices and varieties to be posted soon.

Julie's truffles are available in packages of 8 (2 of each flavor below) for $15 (plus tax).  Order one day in advance (before Feb. 12 for Valentine's Day pick-up) on Chef Julie Ragusa's Facebook page or at the Mockingbird Café, 110 S. Second Street.  Orders can be picked up at the Mockingbird Café.  

Buttermilk Ganache (semi- sweet)
Cafe Olé (milk chocolate)
Darkest Hour (60% dark)
Black and White (white chocolate ganache with 60% dark shell)

295 Suite 13 Highway 90
Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
(228) 586-3635

A new concept in low-carb carry-out could help busy locals keep their resolutions to eat healthy and stay in shape.
- by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson

All of the food is low-carb, based on the Zone Diet created by Dr. Barry Sears with the goal of balancing fat, carbs, and proteins as a way of maintaining insulin levels. Martin followed the diet herself to improve her eating habits, but after tiring of the same old meals she “got creative to make food taste good.” One big accomplishment after many attempts was to learn how to make a tasty low-carb bread.
 
“And here we are,” she said from inside her new location at Zone Meals To Go Low Carb Bakery & More. The decor was the handiwork of Martin’s 17-year-old daughter, Jasmine.
 
The meals range from 1,200 to 2,000 calories a day so they can help with weight loss and are considered diabetic-friendly, she said.
 
Customers who sign up for a six-day meal plan receive breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks and dessert each day. The meals are prepared and packaged individually for pick up or delivery twice a week.

At the new location Martin is able to respond to growing customer demand for healthy grab-and-go meals, baked goods, breads, salads and hot and cold drinks.
 
The meals change every three days to keep things fresh and interesting, Martin said. And customers can come in and enjoy fresh-brewed Coast Roast Coffee and hot tea, a cinnamon roll, or a meal at the cozy tables.
 
On a recent menu, breakfast was apple crisp, lunch included protein-packed parmesan chicken bites, dinner featured Salisbury steak with mashed “potatoes” (actually cauliflower), and desserts included a satisfying but not-too-sweet Nutter Butter parfait, and bread pudding with caramel sauce.
 
Customer Nancy Sorak was in to pick up her second order. She said she likes the size of the servings because cooking small portions can get complicated. “So this is great,” she said.

The 'Bird turned ten this year and in just a decade, has become an indepensible part of the community fabric - for lots of different reasons. 
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson, food photos courtesy Mockingbird

Locals will have a new option when it comes to welcoming in  2017 on New Year's Eve:  a grand gala at the  Bay St. Louis Community Hall.
- story by Lisa Monti

Patrons can choose from several food stations, including a sushi bar presented by Fatsumo’s in Pass Christian, a grits bar serving the Southern staple along with barbecued shrimp and grillades, and a slider bar with roast beef and barbecued pork among the tasty fillings. There will also be a fresh bar with veggies and fruits (chocolate is optional), and a dessert bar.

Organizers are working on other food stations, including one that involves a make-your-own waffle. ​

There will be a cash bar with a complimentary midnight toast and live music starting at 8 p.m., and a lighted starfish will be dropped by boom at the stroke of midnight.
 
“It will be an eclectic mix of food, subject to change,” said Fillhart of the ongoing preparations. But it will be fitting for a year-end celebration. “It’s the ‘end of year and my diet starts tomorrow’ kind of mix.”

About that auction. Fillhart said instead of the usual items to bid on, this one will offer all services, including lawn care, hair care, and the services of an architect, a beekeeper, and a fishing guide. Starfish Cafe is donating a five-course private party for 10 at the cafe.
 
“It’s a unique way to raise money and it connects the community,” she said. The winning bidders may become regular customers and make new friends they might not otherwise have met, she said.
 
The gala will be at the Bay St. Louis Community Center on Blaize Avenue. Tickets are $50 each and only 400 will be sold.
 
Everything will be eco-friendly right down to the compostable plates and glasses. Dress is “casual bling.”

Trapani's Eatery
116 North Beach Blvd.
Bay St. Louis, MS
228.467.8570
Now Open 7 Days a Week!

If it tastes like home cooking, maybe that's because it is - for some folks in Bay St. Louis anyway!
 - story by Lisa Monti, photographs by Ellis Anderson 

​The recipes were perfected over decades and everything she turned out, from a pot of file gumbo and platter of stuffed crabs to divinity fudge and tart lemon merengue pies, was comforting and delicious, even to a picky kid’s palate.
 
Luckily, Emma’s gift for cooking lives on, at least in some of us. ​

​So whenever I’m in the mood for some tried-and-true dishes, I make it over to Tony’s, as we relatives tend to call the restaurant.
 
Not surprising, with coastal decor and a bar named Blue Marlin, seafood plays a big role in Trapani’s kitchen. Starters include the popular crab cakes, rich gumbo and sesame ahi tuna. A longtime favorite is the fried green tomatoes topped with crabmeat and hollandaise.
 
Not to put too fine a point on the seafood connection here, but every Trapani’s entree salad comes with a seafood option, and the salad packed with crawfish will totally satisfy your craving for them.
 
Among the got-to-try entrees, Eggplant Delacroix is a stand out - eggplant slices breaded with Progresso crumbs, just like Emma used, and topped with sauteed Gulf shrimp, onions bell peppers and mushrooms then finished with hollandaise and parmesan. I know.
 
The kitchen also offers great steaks, fish, ample sandwiches and homemade desserts. If you try just one, get the divine Dinwiddie Delight. I believe it’s been on the menu since Day One, so if you’re a regular, its likely you’ve already gone over the calorie cliff already.

 Sometimes only hot wings will do, and the ones at Trapani’s are addictive. The wings are naked, not battered, fried to glorious crunchiness and coated with a spicy sauce. Wings (with plenty of napkins) and a glass of Chardonnay have become my Second Saturday tradition.

Sitting on the Blue Marlin balcony, overlooking the harbor, is a most pleasant way to cap off the monthly art walk. And when there’s live music on the balcony, well, a good thing gets even better.
 
Trapani’s restaurant and Blue Marlin bar are must-try destinations for Coast tourists, and for  locals, both upstairs and downstairs are great spots for socializing with friends, old and new.

If you live on the coast, not everybody at Trapani's will know your name, but chances are lots of folks will. 

The grocery store you'll want to go to when you're hungry:  chow down on a great selection of fresh deli menu items and then do your shopping!
- story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson 

“Breakfast is a huge part of our business in the deli,” said Elizabeth Acquistapace, who oversees the kitchen at the family-owned store. The Acquistapace family also has a supermarket in Picayune. All five of the Acquistapace siblings, including her husband, Ethan, are involved in the stores, from the building design to the day-to-day operation.

After the breakfast rush, the staff starts preparing the daily hot lunch specials, which also bring in a hungry crowd. On a recent Saturday, the choices were barbecue ribs, pork sausage, brisket and red beans along with sides including fried okra, smothered cabbage and sweet potato casserole with praline topping. The red beans, made from the Acquistapace family recipe, are flavored with store-smoked sausage, bacon, and ham hocks. 

Sandwiches (including muffulettas) are popular. Construction workers favor the hamburger combo with cheese and a side of fries.

If you want a generously stuffed poboy—served hot or cold—you can choose from oysters, shrimp, catfish or roast beef. Elizabeth said the roast beef with rich gravy has a big following. “It’s a whole fresh eye of round roast that simmers for hours. It’s truly a homemade roast beef,” she said.

The French bread for the poboys is baked in the store but here’s a tip: if you’re a fan of crispy Leidenheimer bread, just ask for it. 

A variety of pasta dishes provide an alternative to fried foods. “We’re making our own fresh pasta with free range eggs and fresh semolina,” Elizabeth said. The family patriarch bought the three pasta machines in Italy. The pasta is served with sautéed zucchini, Italian sausage and homemade pesto.

Everything sold is made in the store, and there’s enough variety that the menu stays basically the same, though sometimes you’ll find meatloaf or chicken and dumplings. The variety gets smaller in the evening but you can still get a satisfying supper up until 8 p.m. or so.

A recent summertime lunch treat tells a lot about the deli’s use of seasonal fare. “We had a short Creole tomato season but we had some pretty hot house tomatoes,” said Elizabeth. “So who can pass up a tomato sandwich on white bread with mayo, salt and pepper?”

Even though the price of ingredients fluctuates, one thing is steady at the deli: the prices. The 6-inch roast beef poboy is $5.99. A breakfast plate is $2.49. The lunch plates start at $5.99. “We try to keep it as reasonable as we can to give our customers good value,” she said.

There are healthy options too, with a full salad bar in the back of the store (by the seafood counter).  For $4.99 a pound you can make a meal-sized salad with fresh fixings - including chicken and on occasion, boiled shrimp.  
​
Breakfast and lunch is prepared seven days a week. You can call ahead (228-466-2610) to see what’s cooking and enjoy your meal at the counter in the front of the store where there’s complimentary Community Coffee. And check out the freezer section next to the deli for chicken and Andouille gumbo, bisques, soups, and casseroles. 
​

​The menu covers all the bases, and as its waterfront location suggests, seafood prevails in salads, pasta, sandwiches, appetizers and the namesake categories on the menu: By Sea and Steamed Goods.
 
By Sea (as opposed to the pork and beef that star in the By Land entrees) showcases whole flounder, Asian ahi tuna, trout almondine and stuffed crab, along with the always-popular shrimp and oyster platters.
 
Steamed Goods include some over-the-top offerings for a crowd. The Admiral’s Steamer generously serves at least 10 diners with five pounds of steamed Alaskan King crab, Royal Red shrimp, snow crab and Dungeness crab with charbroiled oysters along with drawn butter, though it doesn’t say how much butter it takes to go with all that seafood. The price is an eye-popping $499.95 and yes, a couple have been ordered, Marotta said. Couples, rather than crowds, go for the signature steamed seafood.
 
“We have sold quite of bit of steamers for two ($110),” he said. “It’s a good deal. You get a lot of seafood.”
 
Portions are generous across the board at Harbor House. Fourteen large gulf shrimp, lightly dusted and fried, practically filled the large lunch plate that was rounded out by the side of fresh broccoli and carrot.

 “Anything fried is hand breaded, even the kids’ chicken tenders,” he said. For that reason, the restaurant sells loads of seafood poboys and platters.
 
The number one best seller, though, is the Scarlet Red Snapper, deliciously pan fried and topped with sweet crabmeat and hollandaise sauce. It was the “I’m getting that next time” item at our table.
 
Besides lunch and dinner service, Harbor House hosts lots of parties in the open area downstairs that can accommodate up to 300 guests like one party last month. “We get a lot of people celebrating here,” Marotta said.
 
 
Harbor House seats about 185 in the dining room, deck, and bar. They’re warming up the big screen TVs for fans of college and pro football to come enjoy the game with food and drinks. And the restaurant just kicked off a Thursday night special: kids eat free with the purchase of a dinner entree.
 
Whether you come by boat or by car, whatever you do, come with an appetite.

Join us as we visit five local establishment serving frozen desserts, sampling homemade gelatos, sorbets and ice creams in gourmet flavors, as well as frozen yogurt, root beer floats Dipping Dots. But hurry, before it melts.
- story and photos by Lisa Monti, additional photos, Ellis Anderson

“I just use all natural ingredients, basically cream, sugar and fruit or cheese,” Moynan said, making something so delicious sound so simple.
 
No matter the temperature or season, customers happily end their meals with an ice cream or a sorbet for dessert. “Sometimes we’ll sell ice cream like crazy in the winter months. It doesn’t have to be a special time year. It’s just a special treat,” she said.
 
At Sycamore House Restaurant (210 Main St.), the homemade ice cream is billed as fresh flavors of the moment and the offerings are generously varied: creole cream cheese, mint chocolate chip, coffee, blueberry, roasted marshmallow, peach buttermilk, salted caramel.

One scoop or two? A taste test of all the flavors didn’t bring on brain freeze, but did set off an avalanche of adjectives. Tart buttermilk peach. Salty-sweet caramel. Richly satisfying cream cheese. Robust coffee. One taste and it becomes your favorite. Until the next taste. And the next. Pick any one of these treats and you can’t go wrong.
 
Sycamore House customers too full after their meal are known to come back just for something sweet. Enjoy a bowl on the porch, in the dining room, or at the small bar if there’s room.

When a restaurant calls itself a creperie, you know it’s serious about dessert. And for a small place (25 seats), Cannella International Creperie & More (1113 U.S. 90) packs a lot into the menu, including four gelato and four sorbet flavors.
 
“The gelato and sorbet we make ourselves,” said Roberto Zito, who owns Cannella with wife Toni. You can order either with the made-fresh crepes or alongside the baked apple dessert, but Roberto said, “the gelato is so good, most people enjoy it by itself.”
 
The current gelato menu lists espresso, pistachio honey ricotta (just-right richness and chunky), cioccolato, bourbon creme brûlée with the right amount of sweetness and espresso gelato. Sorbet flavors are blood orange ginger, a refreshingly tart limoncello, mango lime chile with a spicy kick and tasty red berry Prosecco.
 
Order one, two and three scoops served in a cup or in a large waffle cone.
 
The flavors change periodically because customers and the owners like the variety. “We eat it, too!” said Toni.

Cypress Cafe (300 South Second St.) is the place to get the futuristic Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream, those tiny spheres of ice cream that melt away to creamy goodness in your mouth. One popular flavor is Cookies ’n Cream studded with generous chunks of Oreos. The cafe also sells Chocolate, Rainbow, Strawberry and sometimes Mint Chocolate. The dots are scooped out of containers held in a special freezer and served by the cupful. Lots of cups.
 
Chef Sherry Prater says students from the nearby schools are huge fans of Dippin’ Dots and they come in regularly for their favorite flavors. “You don’t want to run out,” said the chef. “You should see those disappointed little faces.”
 
Grownup ice cream fans lean more toward Cypress Cafe’s vanilla served atop a chocolate chip brownie, crowned with whipped cream, chocolate caramel and Prater’s praline-candied pecans.

Over at Purple Banana (300 South Second St.), cool treats come in eight flavors of frozen yogurt and more than 40 toppings. Do the math. Or rather, work your way through the standard selections of self-serve froyo - vanilla, strawberry, cheesecake, cake batter and triple chocolate - or go for the seasonal offerings of cappuccino, tangerine mango and butter pecan (if you’re remembering something you had that was minty, that probably was last holiday season).
 
Picking toppings can be a little challenging, just because there are so many delicious choices: coconut, pecans, chocolate chip, Oreos, Butter Fingers, and many more. Enjoy your frozen yogurt in cups or cones (waffle and small sugar cones).  At the cash register, guess the weight of your serving and it's free if you're right!

LuLu’s on Main
126 Main St.
(228) 463-1670
 
Sycamore House
210 Main St.
(228) 469-0107
 
Cannella Creperie and More
1113 U.S. 90
(228) 467-4110
 
Cypress Cafe
300 South Second St.
(228) 466-4877
 
Purple Banana
107 Court St.
(228) 466-2978
 

Chappy, whose original seafood restaurant opened in Long Beach in 1984, said that Hurricane Katrina “completely uprooted” his life and that he’s thrilled to finally be back home in Waveland. “I’m trying to get back to my life that I love so much,” he said. Not one to look back, Chappy said, “I’m trying to move ahead with new ideas, fresh ideas.”

The Caribbean flair is found throughout the dining area and even into the ladies’ room, where leftover wood takes an artistic turn. Chappy credits his wife Starr and his sister, New Orleans artist Connie Chapman, for pulling together all the pieces and parts to give the restaurant its tropical look.

The taste, though, is what keeps customers coming back, like the starter choices to share with the table: avocado mango dip, seafood hushpuppies and Yea Mon Nachos (pulled pork, black beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, red onion, lime cream, cilantro, and tons of melted cheese).

Tacos with fish and various fillings are on menus everywhere these days but at Rum Kitchen the Off the Grid tacos come in some unique iterations. Choose beef, seafood, lamb, chicken, duck, pork, and vegetarian, all served on 4-inch corn tortillas.

The brisket has big flavors accented by BBQ sauce, cilantro, and crunchy fried shallots. Flavorful Jerk Chicken is sweetened with mango salsa. The popular Miss Queen doubles down with pulled pork, jalapeño salsa, spicy and vinegary BBQ sauce and roasted corn relish.

Tacos come in twos, threes and fours with one or two sides. Coconut mango rice is a pleasant sweet surprise, light and flavorful. The Callaloo-smothered greens got raves on two lunch outings. Also available are sweet potato fries, black beans with chorizo, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes.

The sandwiches-and-burgers menu includes the standout ground chuck burger and the grilled mahi mahi with creole seasoning. Both drew raves recently from lunch customers.

The Me Hearty Plates offer even more innovative choices, like braised lamb in a tomato curry, grilled chicken with the restaurant’s signature sauce, red curry shrimp, ribs and a char gilled ribeye with garlic chutney.

Mahi Mahi, jerk chicken and brisket are found into the salad selections, too. For dessert, dig into the Bahama Mama bread pudding, made fresh daily, or Key lime pie, among other decadent selections. Go ahead. Pretend you’re on vacation.

Rum Kitchen is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving lunch and dinner. There is a full bar. Call 228-467-9099.

 Kane opened the cafe in November 2013 after years of waiting tables and as a restaurant cook and manager. Getting off the ground was a sometimes a struggle but things started to settle down — and pick up — in the second year, she said. Now Sunrise Cafe has a loyal following.
 
“It’s pretty steady most days but Saturday is our busiest,” she said. “Most of our customers are local but we do have some who come from Waveland, Pass Christian and even Long Beach. And Hollywood Casino has a valet who always recommends us to guests.”
 
Kane said she loves her cafe’s location and the town’s welcoming, small-town atmosphere. “I have great neighbors in this little business area. We have a dentist, an orthodontist, and the cellphone company. It’s a close-knit community. When customers come in, they know each other,” she said.

​Regulars know what they like, too. The Western omelet, filled with ham, onions, bell peppers, tomato and cheddar, is a favorite. Philly cheese steak, another top-selling choice, appears in three different iterations: as a sandwich or an omelet or in the ultimate hash browns with grilled onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and eggs. Want those hash browns extra crispy? Just ask your server.
 
There are also breakfast standards like buttermilk pancakes and hard-to-come-by dishes like corned beef hash. The menu covers all the breakfast bases.
 
Lunch items include tasty burgers, mixed green salads, sandwiches and melts plus made-from-scratch desserts. Homemade soup of the day is partnered with a small tossed salad or half a chicken salad croissant.
 
Kane said the cafe’s menu is pretty well set, but don’t be surprised if you see more sandwiches and fewer plate lunches during the heat of the summer season. And of course you can satisfy your breakfast food cravings any time the cafe is open. 

He can sing and he can cook and sometimes he does both at the same time.  Meet Phil Williams, the man behind the bar-b-que.
- story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson 

South of the Border in South Mississippi, the Cleaver crew visits this family favorite restaurant in the Bay. 
- story and photos by Lisa Monti

Call 'em mudbugs or crawfish, these spicy crustaceans are one of the most sought after foods on the coast!
- by Lisa Monti

Reading about food can be almost as fun as cooking it - or even eating!  Columnist Carole McKellar shares some of her favorite recipe books, as well as the recipe for a classic Vinaigrette!

Holiday excesses cause me to crave simple, natural ingredients. As Michael Pollan wrote in In “Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto”,  “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Pollan advises us to shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle. Healthier food is found around the edges while processed foods are mostly confined to the center aisles. He also recommends that we get to know our food producers and shop as much as possible at farmers’ markets.
 
One of my favorite books about cooking and eating is “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters, a famous chef, organic food activist, and the author of numerous books. She owns Chez Panisse, a restaurant in Berkeley, California famous for its organic, locally grown ingredients. Waters writes:

            Good cooking is no mystery. You don’t need years of culinary training,
            or rare and costly foodstuffs, or an encyclopedic knowledge of world cuisines. 
            You need only your own five senses. You need good ingredients, too, of course, 
            but in order to choose and prepare them, you need to experience them fully.
            It’s the many dimensions of sensual experience that make cooking so
            satisfying. You never stop learning.

“An Everlasting Meal: Cooking With Economy and Grace” by Tamar Adler is equal parts philosophy and technique. Ms. Adler begins each chapter with a quote from the likes of Rainer Maria Rilke and Shi Tao. She pays homage to M.F.K. Fisher as a mentor. Adler describes Fisher’s book, “How to Cook a Wolf,” published in 1942, as “a book about cooking defiantly, amid the mess of war and the pains of bare pantries. Because food was rationed, it is about living well in spite of lack.”
 
Tamar Adler learned well from Fisher about economy and ingenuity. She describes her weekly routine of visiting farmers’ markets to buy “the leafiest, stemmiest vegetables I can find. … I start cooking them as soon as possible after shopping, when the memory of the market’s sun and cheerful tents are still in mind.” Once prepared, the squashes, greens, and root vegetables form the basis of meals for a whole week.

She’s a big fan of using seasonal vegetables in salads, omelets, soups, or gratins. As their freshness wanes, she recommends making a curry. There are recipes in the book, but most of them simply say something like, “add 2 cups cooked vegetables.” Adler uses vinaigrette on salads, beans, and rice dishes. The recipe for basic vinaigrette is so simple that you will never buy bottled dressing again.

Basic Vinaigrette
 1 shallot, minced (if you have one but it’s fine without it)
 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
1 clove garlic, smashed (I use a garlic press.)
 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Mix all but the olive oil and let sit for a minute. Mix in the oil.

 I use an old jelly jar and shake it well. Adler recommends removing the garlic, but I usually leave it. Other flavored vinegars can be substituted. Making this vinaigrette takes less than 5 minutes. I recently put it on a basic lettuce salad and got praise from other diners.
 
“An Everlasting Meal” is filled with poetry and literature. I feel that I’m not reading a cookbook, but a fabulous lifestyle idea. Readers are encouraged to think of food preparation and consumption as a celebration. Ms. Adler playfully urges us not to take cooking too seriously when she names chapters “How to Boil Water” or “How to Snatch Victory from the Jaws of Defeat.”  Whenever I reread her book, I feel confident that I can cook more intuitively and successfully.
 
For the past 25-plus years, I have lived a primarily vegetarian life. Some meat and fish are allowed into our diets, but we prefer vegetables. My favorite cookbooks are vegetarian. My earliest attempts at cooking were aided by Mollie Katzen and her charmingly illustrated books, “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest” and “Moosewood Cookbook.”
 
These days I like to consult “The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen. This book is a treasure-trove of hints and techniques. Each recipe starts with “Why This Recipe Works,” which explains the result of extensive research in the test kitchen. It’s easier to be inventive when you understand the basics of preparation.

The most beautiful book in my food library is “Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi, chef and owner of London’s Ottolenghi restaurants. Last summer, I had the pleasure of eating at Ottolenghi in the Islington area of London. “Plenty” has delectable photographs and puts exotic dishes within the capability of average cooks.
 
A small book titled “Mezze” is another favorite of mine. Mezze dishes originate in North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East. Comparable to Spanish tapas or Italian antipasti, mezze are small dishes served as appetizers or grouped together to form a meal for sharing. The recipes for hummus and eggplant dip are easy and delicious. There’s a carrot salad that looks sweet, but is quite savory thanks to cumin and turmeric. I love the oven roasted chile shrimp with its spicy juices for sopping with bread.
 
Today food blogs are very popular and number in the thousands. It’s not easy to separate the best from the mediocre, but here are a few that I enjoy:
 
            My Paris Kitchen (davidlebovitz.com)
            Cookie + Kate (cookieandkate.com)
            101 Cookbooks (101cookbooks.com)
            Sprouted Kitchen (sproutedkitchen.com)
            The First Mess (thefirstmess.com)

Blogs and recipe apps are convenient because you can access them while standing in the grocery wondering what to cook for supper. I find them useful, but there is nothing like a cookbook for inspiration.
 
I believe that preparing and consuming good, fresh food enhances our lives. Meals shared with friends and family offer great satisfaction and pleasure. All of our senses are engaged and our overall well-being is improved. I read cookbooks to become a more confident cook, not one ruled by recipes. I want to enjoy the preparation and sharing of meals with the people I love.
 
Our two local bookstores, Pass Christian Books (sponsor of this column!) and Bay Books, have a good selection of cookbooks for consideration. The Bay St. Louis Library and other branches of the Hancock County Library System have shelves filled with books about food. 
 
Get out the knives, and shake those pots and pans.

The Bay's favorite bakery raises the art of sandwich making to a whole new level with scrumptious combos layered between slices of their own bread.
 - story by Lisa Monti, photos by Lisa Monti and Ellis Anderson

On a recent dreary weekday, when a hot grilled sandwich seemed like the perfect comfort food, I doubled down on The Works: Black Forest ham, Fontina, the fresh pesto, salty olives and rich sun dried tomatoes on Al’s Roasted Sunflower Seed bread.

The sandwich was crisped in a panini press (using olive oil, not butter) and served with a pickle slice and a bag of Lay’s potato chips, a classic accompaniment. Depending on availability and your preferences, the sandwich ingredients vary, but you know the bread and everything in between will be good and tasty.

Turns out The Works is a runaway favorite with Old Town workers who order their panini to go.

Back to those carryout items. The deep green pesto is a swirl of fresh basil, walnuts, garlic, sea salt, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The spicy hummus (garbanzo beans, extra-virgin olive oil, tahini, garlic, cumin, sea salt, fresh lemon juice and just a bit of red pepper flakes).

You’re probably familiar with Serious Bread’s chicken salad, made with freshly roasted chicken, apples, almonds and cranberries, but maybe not with tabouli, a Lebanese salad blending bulgur wheat, feta, tomatoes, black olives, green onions and cilantro.

Another big seller, and also new to the menu, are the delicious energy bars. “We can’t keep them in the store,” said Janet Densmore, a seller of breads and sweets behind the counter.

The bars are made of dried fruits, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, oats, coconut, almonds, pecans, flax seed, sesame seed and honey. Like everything made at Serious Bread, they’re all natural.

It’s been a dozen or so years since the Jensens started making Serious Bread and selling it at farmer’s markets.  Lucky for locals (and visitors), for the past two years, they have an Old Town home at 131 Main Street.

Al, a retired oceanographer long known as "The Breadman," was a lifelong fan of sourdough and after he started baking his own bread, he and Vivian traveled to bread classes all over the country.

Between operating the Old Town storefront and working various farmer's markets, the Jensens and their crew stay busy making and selling all those great artisan sourdough breads, double chocolate brownies, cinnamon rolls, scones, and a variety of muffins and cookies. Their famous flatbreads are available in their cafe on weekends and on farmer's market days.

story and photos by Lisa Monti

111 Main Street, Bay St. Louis,  (228) 344-3330
Hours:  Lunch starts Jan. 4
11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday;
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday;
Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Jan. 10.

The new bistro will be in full bloom in the new year. The Bay Gourmet, which will open January 4, will sell Boar’s Head meats, imported cheeses, homemade chicken salad, fresh baked bread, high-end crackers and condiments, signature salads and dressing by the pint. Lunch service also will start January 4.

But the kitchen already is humming along in high gear, turning out shareable appetizers and generous entrees, plus a string of sides. Specials change daily, starting with red beans and rice on Mondays.

The Oysters St. Louis heads the list of appetizers, and rightfully so. The local oysters are wrapped in smoky bacon, skewered, fried to a crispy state and sauced with citrus beurre blanc.

Fried oysters. Bacon. Buttery sauce. Yes, please. Easily could pass as an entree.

The house-made pork and veggie spring rolls were crunchy and delicious on their own with the Thai chili sauce and came with Asian slaw that was a surprise standout, rich with soy sauce.

The appetizer list includes familiar favorites — crab cakes, fried green tomatoes — plus some unique ones like duck quesadillas and baked cheese gratin.

Each of the three chicken entree dishes sounded better than the next: Montrachet, Milanese, and Blue Corn. The Montrachet chicken breast was pan fried to perfection, stuffed with spinach and various cheeses and topped with pesto cream sauce alongside angel hair pasta. And the leftovers held up well  - until lunch the next day.

Bottom line: The long-awaited Old Cuevas Bistro is worth the wait and a welcome addition to Old Town.

  A Mandeville favorite and darling of the Food Network opens in the Depot District of Old Town.  You'll find the menu at the end of the story, too!
- story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson

The space, which used to house the popular Bay City Grill and later Jack’s, has had a full refresh, with more light and elbow room. The fountain in the center of the room contains flowers now, and the corner near the entrance houses Ginger’s own line of “bling.” As the menu advises: Eat, drink and wear jewelry.

Louie’s roots are in the French Quarter; Ginger’s are in the Irish Channel. She works the front of the house, and he’s in the kitchen. The chef, a former electrician, learned to cook from his grandmother and has cooked for 40 or so years to raves.

When he was featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2011, host Guy Fieri called Louie’s grits & grillades “a breakfast that eats like dinner.” [Watch the Food Network video about the Mandeville location at the end of this story!]

As Ginger said: “Food makes a chef. God makes a cook.”

Our opening day lunch was a good introduction to the long menu:  rich, dark chicken and Andouille gumbo, loads of fried fish with sweet potato fries, and two hefty crab cakes coated in crunchy bread crumbs drizzled with a rich remoulade.

The generous fried green tomatoes were topped with poached eggs and the  crispy Leidenheimer bread couldn’t contain all the fried shrimp that came in the po’boy.

The breakfast and lunch menus have plenty to offer. There are seven versions of “Bay” Benedicts alone, including the house specialty: Eggs Nouvelle Orleans starring two crab cakes topped with poached eggs and the chef’s own take on hollandaise. Other options include pancakes and omelets and Depot Festival items served with grits and creamed spinach. You can enjoy breakfast from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lunchtime offerings (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) include the storied Eggplant Algiers appetizer: a hearty stack of fried eggplant medallions layered with boiled shrimp, crab meat and crab cake, topped with a light cream sherry sauce, and otherwise known as Louie’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Here, also, are gumbo, salads, pasta, steaks, classic fried seafood, po’boys, and the list goes on.

The chef’s special holiday menu will run through New Year’s.

Watch for the rollout of daily lunch specials for $8 (red beans, baked chicken, spaghetti & meatballs, liver & onions and fried fish), Saturday brunch and extended hours in the near future.

Louie & the Redhead Lady is open Monday through Saturday. For now, bring your own wine.

With a menu that's different AND delicious, can it be healthy too?  You betcha! 
- story and photos by Lisa Monti

The chickens served at Starfish are “free of steroids, antibiotics and cages,” says Di, and the beef is grass fed at a farm up in Collins, Mississippi.

A recent lunch for our trio started with greeting friends we spotted at just about every table in the small dining room. It’s that kind of place: familiar, friendly, and comfortable.

Our timing was off because of a very long freight train so the must-have spring rolls were already gone. Get there early to enjoy the spring mix with tomato, carrot, mango, cukes, mint and sesame ginger dressing inside a tapioca rice wrapper. The accompanying peanut sauce is homemade, as you would expect.

Rebounding from the spring roll miss, we ordered the roasted asparagus “fries,” deliciously crunchy with a parmesan coating, and a delicious, addictive starter.   

One of the daily specials made its way to our table: the blackened Mississippi catfish tacos with mango mint coleslaw were served with organic chips and homemade pico.

The cafe gets extra points for letting customers — well, customize orders. On this day, half a Tur-Ba-Cado sandwich (fresh roasted turkey with bacon, avocado and provolone sauced in cranberry chipotle, pressed on house-made sourdough) came with a Winter Popeye Salad (spinach, goat cheese, pecans, Craisins, apple and pumpkin seeds dressed with pepper jelly vinaigrette).

“We’re so small that we can customize a lot of orders according to taste and dietary needs,” Di said. “If you have dietary restrictions, this is the place for people who find it difficult in other restaurants.”

If you’re the kind of diner who likes to go by the numbers, the cafe’s menu has an Under 500 section just for you. I’m not that kind of person but the Thai steak salad caught my attention. The marinated strips of filet topped a large portion of romaine, garden fresh basil, mint and cilantro and all of it was flavored with a citrusy Thai lime dressing. All that goodness and just 160 calories. I know.

There are a couple of other ingredients the folks at Starfish Cafe like to use in generous amounts. “We put a heavy portion of love and happiness in every dish,” said Di. “Our regulars tell us they can taste it.”

The couple opened West End in the summer of 2008, using the experience they had gained with Daddy-O’s, their popular breakfast and lunch diner well known for its signature doughnuts. West End came about when the Brelands set out to try a new type of restaurant post-Katrina.

Meals at West End start with a small loaf of French bread delivered to the table in a paper bag. It's a nice way to get a meal under way and the bread at West End is warm, light and crispy.

I didn’t do the math but our table seemed split between the menu classics and the daily specials. I had a cup of rich gumbo loaded with seafood along with half a  fried shrimp poboy on Leidenheimer bread. Pardon the crumbs. Enough said.
 
Up and down the table, all the choices appeared appetizing, from the generous and juicy West End burger covered with melted Swiss to the show-stopping avocado crab salad and the fried green tomato poboy. An appetizer of fried green tomatoes topped with crabmeat and accompanied by a small serving of a special sauce stood up well to the full-sized entrees.

West End is partial to seafood but if you lean more toward pasta, steaks, and veal dishes you can find those, too.

West End, located at 635 U.S. Route 90, is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.