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Coast Cuisine - September 2020
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- Story by Lisa Monti
A new head chef, innovative menu changes and a significant expansion are earning the beachfront restaurant even more loyal diners.
- Story by Lisa Monti
Waveland Alderman Jeremy Burke reports on the start of Waveland's new sidewalk project, the St. Clare Seafood Festival and the lighthouse ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Waveland Avenue will remain open throughout the duration of the project, although intermittent lane closures may occur as needed to accommodate construction. The project is broken down into four sections in order to reduce the inconvenience to homeowners along Waveland Avenue. The first section of construction will be from Highway 90 to Rue De Lasalle, second section is Rue De Lasalle to Herlihy, third section is Herlihy to Sycamore and final section is Sycamore to end of project. All drainage will be complete, cut driveways repaired and sidewalks complete before the contractor can proceed to the next section of project. This project has been in the works since 2015, and I’m excited to see we are finally heading down the home stretch. The project will make travel a lot easier and safer for pedestrians. It is anticipated that the project will be completed during the summer of 2020.
St. Clare Seafood Festival
The St. Clare Seafood Festival has grown into the marquee festival in Hancock County for the Memorial Day weekend. The festival runs Friday, May 24, 5–11 pm, Saturday, May 25, 11 am–11 pm, and Sunday, May 26, noon to 10 pm The festival features food, carnival rides, craft vendors, and the best free Memorial Day weekend live entertainment anywhere on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Please make plans to have a good time while supporting St. Clare this Memorial Day weekend.
Ribbon-Cutting for the Waveland Lighthouse
I'm extremely proud to offer this facility to the residents and visitors to Waveland. The Waveland Lighthouse and Pavilion will be an anchor for the continue growth of Waveland.
An array of delicious items on their new Pub Menu adds a new facet of dining to this favorite Bay St. Louis café.
- story by Lisa Monti
The Mockingburger is the perfectly named and simply dressed patty on a toasted bun spiked with jalapeño and cheddar and served with a pile of homemade chips. Who knows how many of those have capped off Second Saturday or after a day of shopping and showing off Old Town to visitors. At $10, the meaty Mockingburger and its delicious counterpart, the Summer Garden Burger, are at the high-end of offerings on the Pub menu, which is available Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to closing and on Second Saturday from 2 p.m. to close. The new Charcuterie Board is $10 for a nice assortment of cheese, meat and fresh fruit that could easily be shared. Also new are the crunchy pork rinds and pretzel bites, both $5, and loaded fries that start a $7 and are elevated by $3 with the addition of pulled pork. I finally went for the tacos, prompted by an enthusiastic recommendation for their taste and thrifty price. You can have one taco for $3, $5 for two and 3 for just $7. Choose from pulled pork, grilled chicken and the Summer Garden or have one of each for a range of tastes. The pulled pork is sauced with rich espresso BBQ. The chicken is dressed with pico, cheddar and a sour cream Sriracha mix. The Summer Garden taco is filled with the aforementioned patty made with chickpeas, black beans and fresh vegetables splashed with red pepper aioli. All the sauces are made in house, not a surprise to Mockingbird regulars who enjoy what the talented kitchen staff produces. Each of the three tacos was tasty in its own style, and the pulled pork was especially good thanks to the bold espresso sauce. And of course the Pub food menu is balanced with a menu of drinks, all $5, and some with bird-themed names like Bird Brew Martini (cold brewed coffee, vodka and vanilla) and the sublimely named and tasty Tequila Mockingbird, a refreshing blend of rosemary honey, blood orange juice and of course tequila. There’s a lot of variety in the drink selections, from the secret recipe Mockingbird Sangria, the Lushy Lemonade with vodka, the made-for-summertime Lavender Gin and Soda, a rosé wine-based Froze and the classic Mimosa. Coffee lovers can sip a Bright Eyed Irish coffee or a Bird Brew Martini in keeping with the coffee theme. You can even match a trio of tacos with three beers that are paired for the pork, chicken and veggie versions. That’s just $12. There’s also house wine and beer ($15 for a pitcher) available to cover all the bases for a visit to the Mockingbird. Mockingbird Café 110 S. Second St. Bay St. Louis Telephone (228) 467-8383 Monday-Wednesday : 7am-5pm Thursday-Saturday : 7am-9pm Sunday : 7am-2pm
Janice Hall brings a wealth of wine knowledge and a taste of Sonoma to this cozy Central Avenue eatery.
- story by Lisa Monti
“I draw upon my experience as a Master Commander Emeritus with the International Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine for wine choices/selections,” Janice says. KOV is the oldest wine society in the country and is an off-shoot of the over-300 year-old European wine society. To make the most of all that good wine, Central Station Bistro also serves an outstanding selection of gourmet cheeses and charcuteries to round out a visit to the bistro, where every board is made fresh upon order. Prepping the meats and cheeses - all sliced to order - guarantees freshness and that naturally takes time. The result is “worth the wait,” Janice promises. And since Janice is a professional photographer, it’s no surprise that the Bistro’s boards make for gorgeous presentations. Combinations of cheeses with plump grapes, salty almonds, fresh berries, toast, baguette slices and swirls of prosciutto arrive ready for their closeup. “It’s all about the drama,” Janice says. Janice works with a supplier who specializes in domestic and imported foods to make sure the meats, cheeses and pates are always “top of the line.” Customers know that their favorites will be available and prepared fresh every time. The boards provide a variety of tastes and textures. The jams are from a North Georgia farm. The crisp baguettes are served hot out of the oven with rich Irish butter. The pickles, pickled asparagus and artichoke hearts add an element of tartness. Janice’s interest in cooking and talent for entertaining guests eventually led to the Bistro. She and her husband Jim lived in California before moving here and when they found a spot for their new endeavor, Janice easily segued from seasoned hostess to the Bistro. The boards come in a variety of elements, giving wine (and beer) drinkers a sampling or something more substantial. The simple sampler comes with one meat, a cheese, dried fruit and nuts served with crackers. From there, the board offerings multiply. The Fromage board has three artisan cheeses along with fresh fruit, preserves and baguette. The Charcuterie board has three meats served with cornichons, olives, stone ground mustard, dried fruit and baguette. The Fromage et Charcuterie combines the best of both. With the three meat/three cheese board, Janice says, “I challenge anyone to leave hungry.” The Sweet Board serves to satisfy cravings with truffles, biscotti and seasonal fruit, all drizzled with chocolate by Ghiradelli. Janice notes, “The truffles are provided by the oldest chocolate maker in New England, specifically Rhode Island. Both the preserves and truffles are available to purchase under the Central Station Bistro name.” Fans of crostini will find two standards on the menu including the always popular Bruschetta (chopped tomato, garlic, Balsamic vinegar topped with Parmesan, parsley and mint) served with stuffed olives. The other is half a baguette stuffed with Brie and Proscuitto and baked. “It’s our version of melted cheese,” Janice says. Regular customers at the Bistro know they can count on finding their favorite beverages and boards in a friendly atmosphere and they also enjoy the service provided by what Janice calls her “Dream Team.” Jennifer Black joined the Bistro with ten years experience at The Sycamore House. Pam Valentine, a native Mississippian with a natural talent for interacting with people, has a background in customer service. Rebecca Jaquith Diaz is a caterer who previously owned a kitchen store in Old Town and is “an all around Bay St. Louis favorite,” Janice said. Janice promises great ideas are in the works for the Bistro’s future. Central Station Bistro 205 Central Ave. Bay Saint Louis, MS 39520 (228) 342-5832 Open Thursday through Saturday 5-9 p.m.
A simple story about a food festival grows to epic proportions when it kicks off the search for some of the city's best fried chicken.
- story by Ellis Anderson photos by Ellis Anderson unless otherwise attributed
So was born the idea of the grand New Orleans Fried Chicken Pilgrimage.
We planned to use a short festival overview as a lead-in to a few classic restaurants that served fried chicken. Since it’d be easy to go overboard in a city where fabulous eateries abound, we’d limit ourselves. Four, we swore. No more! But once word got around to friends, ideas for Can’t-Miss fried chicken experiences started arriving by text and Messenger. How could I possibly write a piece about fried chicken without including Chef Carl’s at the Roosevelt’s Fountain Lounge? And what? I had never heard about the secret Chicken Bon Femme at Tujague’s - not on the menu, but served to those in the know? I wasn’t going to leave off Elizabeth’s in the Bywater, was I? What about the Original Fiorella’s in Gentilly? Mercy.
And so, the project grew. As did my waistline over the course of the intensive research.
What follows is a quick overview of the very excellent - and free - festival, along with our take on eight different restaurants who serve up superlative fried chicken. If you’re really ambitious, you can head into New Orleans, hit one restaurant for lunch and another for dinner. Or, you may want to spread them out over the course of many months so your cardiologist doesn’t throw a hissy fit. Of course, many restaurants on the Mississippi coast serve amazing fried chicken. But the pilgrimage gives readers another excuse to head into the city for a day trip, sample some cosmopolitan offerings along with the poultry, then drive home to the more peaceful coastal lifestyle. You'll feel full and satisfied and maybe even a little bit smug at having the best of both worlds. The Fried Chicken Festival
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Coast Cuisine - Dec/Jan 2019
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RAW Oyster Bar
118 N. Beach Blvd Bay St. Louis (228) 493-9767 Open daily Monday-Friday - 4pm - 10pm Saturday 11am - 10pm Sunday 11am - 9pm Tucked inside the ground floor of a condo building on busy North Beach Boulevard, the cozy RAW Oyster Bar promises the freshest sushi and oysters on the Coast. RAW and the equally cozy Harbor Bar next door, are both newly opened affiliates of The Blind Tiger, right across Beach Boulevard overlooking the city’s harbor. |
Coast Cuisine
is sponsored by |
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Coast Cuisine - Oct/Nov 2018
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Can you remember the first time you ate an oyster? It’s an unforgettable life’s moment for most folks. Oysters aren’t something people feel so-so about. Squishy and salty, the bivalves are either loved or loathed.
My initiation oyster was the real deal - right out of the water and cracked open on the beach. A white-haired great-uncle, a hearty soul, would row his skiff out a short distance and wrestle oysters off the reef the hard way, with tall wooden tongs. He popped one open and held it out to me to taste. What has stayed with me all these years is the salty taste and the pure freshness of that slippery delicacy. |
Coast Cuisine
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Shared History - June/July 2018
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Rich, moist cake filled with fruit or topped with a gooey, buttery, decadent coconut and pecan filling — your choice — and so many more! There was a time when no occasion - from baptisms to wedding showers - was complete without the perfect cake. Some Gulf Coast residents still hold to the tradition.
When the Shoofly queried members of a Bay/Waveland Facebook page about memories of cakes and old-timey cake bakers in the area, the site exploded with mouthwatering memories of delectable desserts. As expected, the late Ruth Thompson’s name appeared. Someone noted that Ruth’s cakes tasted like they were “dropped from heaven.” Every Facebook comment evoked another sweet memory: |
Shared History
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Coast Cuisine - June/July 2018
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It’s safe to say Rickey Peters has a following. Fans have followed him over the years from one location to the next, and waited out the times when Rickey was in between kitchens.
His self-named restaurant on Coleman Avenue in Waveland was generally packed with customers enjoying the chef’s fare but then Katrina swept through and it was a long while before Rickey’s restaurant was reconstituted in the Zuppardo Shopping Center. Once again fans filled the booths and tables to order their favorites. (Mine regular order was gumbo and the stuffed shrimp.) |
Coast Cuisine
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Across the Bridge - June/July 2018
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Wild boars have always been good to me.
It was an Atlanta newspaper assignment to cover a wild boar hunt in Louisiana that led me to buy a houseboat on the Atchafalaya, which led me to spend 14 years of my life exploring the most exotic and regionally distinctive part of these United States, which led to my book Poor Man’s Provence, which, as Hank would say, has bought me a lot of bacon. That original story – wild boar hunt as bachelor party – wasn’t much, but at least I got the idea of how flat-out ugly a 200-pound pig with tusks can be. Didn’t make my mouth water. Now my prolific writer friend Anne Butler of Butler-Greenwood Plantation in St. Francisville, La., has her name on the cover of yet another book: Big Badass Boar Cookbook. |
Across the Bridge
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Sponsor Spotlight - March 2018
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LULU'S ON MAIN
126 Main Street Inside Maggie May’s Gallery & Gifts Bay St Louis, MS 39520 Phone: (228) 463-1670 Open Tuesday through Saturday 8am to 11am for breakfast and 11am to 3pm for lunch. Sunday Jazz Brunch 10:30am - 2pm
When a restaurant is anchored in a popular retail setting, it shouldn’t be a surprise that creativity is at work in the kitchen.
That’s certainly true for LuLu’s On Main, located inside Maggie May’s Gallery & Gifts, which offers a collection of works by local and regional artists, as well as clothing, shoes, jewelry and home decor. |
Sponsor Spotlight
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Coast Cuisine - Feb/March 2018
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Coast Cuisine
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Coast Cuisine - Dec. 2017/Jan. 2018
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Even before the Yamato Steak House of Japan signage appeared at the former Rickey’s location in the Zuppardo Shopping Center off Blue Meadow Road, there was plenty of buzz among hibachi and sushi fans.
When the doors opened in mid-August, you could see the pent-up cravings as customers formed lines, filled tables and rang the phone to place their carryout orders. |
Coast Cuisine
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200 North Beach, the casual, comfortable restaurant named for its physical address, has a lot going for it besides that prime location. There’s local history attached to the handsome building as well as sweeping waterfront views from the first floor windows, the breezy upstairs balcony and the inviting sidewalk tables.
Views aside, there’s a large menu offering a variety of dishes prepared in Chef Keith Becton’s kitchen, from savory salads to steaks, seafood and poboys, and the hand-crafted cocktails served up at the bar. Becton’s experience includes four years as executive sous chef at The Pelican Club in New Orleans. |
200 North Beach
200 N. Beach Blvd. Bay St. Louis (228) 467-9388 Website & Menu Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday - Sunday Coast Cuisine
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Dempsey’s
6208 Kiln-Delisle Road Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 228-255-2043 eatatdemspeys.com
All three times owner Diane Hennessy has relocated Dempsey’s restaurant, she added something new to the already-long menu.
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Coast Cuisine
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There we were, three generations of seafood loving relatives, looking for a place to celebrate an eighth-grade promotion at lunchtime.
Emily, the honoree, didn’t hesitate in making her choice. She loved eating at Cuz’s original location on Highway 603 and wanted to try the new location on the Bay beachfront. We all three were happy with her decision, and for good reason. Christy and Cuz Barnes have been in the restaurant business since 2004, and they know how to keep customers of all ages welcomed and well fed. |
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You know what’s having a moment right here, right now?
Breakfast. The versatile morning meal that’s good really anytime of day is served at some of our favorite local restaurants, where choices range from classic to innovative, sweet to savory, light and healthy to decadent weekend splurges. Here are some options for starting the morning (or whenever) off deliciously: |
Coast Cuisine
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There are few breakfast foods that are as swoon inducing as a good donut. The ones that come out of the kitchen at Ana’s Cafe are among the sweet elite and about the best you will ever indulge in. Ana Rogers formerly owned Grammy’s Donuts and has recently added the treat to her cafe menu, alongside beignets, turnovers, croissants, Danish and other fresh made items. But breakfast goes beyond sweets. There’s a daily special along with the classic breakfast dishes of eggs, meats, grits, hash browns and pancakes, in assorted combinations.
Ana’s Cafe is open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to noon on Sunday. |
Ana’s Cafe
2401 McLaurin St. Waveland 228-344-3223
Ana’s Cafe opened about a year ago in Waveland and has been drawing faithful customers for breakfast and lunch ever since. Owner Ana Rogers, a native of Portugal and the former owner of Grammy’s Donuts, seemed to know most of her customers on a recent Saturday morning, visiting from table to table to say hello and check on things.
As we waited for our orders, Rogers brought over a sampling of donut holes and a full-sized glazed donut. What’s a person to do? It would be rude not to. |
Coast Cuisine
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After Katrina, one of the things people here often mentioned that they missed most was the popular Farmers Market off Longfellow Road. On Saturdays, people would come from up and down the Coast to buy produce, plants, art, sweets and other items from a large pool of vendors. Locals and visitors made it a ritual to shop, visit with friends and load up on something to eat, cook or plant every Saturday. There were a few attempts to bring the market back after Katrina but nothing ever took hold until late 2016 when David and Cindy Kenny of Bay St. Louis spearheaded the effort to get the market going again. They researched farmers market operations, courted vendors, printed flyers and began promoting the market with the cooperation and support of county and city officials. | On the Shoofly |
Dunk’s Southern Style Buffet & Catering is all about being Southern. The Waveland restaurant promises “good ole down-home soul Southern cooking. Southern Food. Southern Style. The Southern Way.”
Owner Lisa Dunklin keeps that promise at lunch with classics like fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, green beans, red beans and rice, fried okra, fried chicken gizzards, chicken and dumplings, cornbread, you get the idea. The restaurant has been open for a year in the post-Katrina building that was originally a business incubator. The restaurant space is airy and bright and comfortable for enjoying a quick bite or a leisurely lunch. |
Coast Cuisine
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