Second Saturday Artwalk - January 2019

Saturday, January 12th

Wiffy Martinez, Kristen Saari and The Traveler Broads from the 2018 Dolly Parton Look-Alike contest during "Dolly Should." photo by Ellis Anderson

A few times a year, the iconic Second Saturday Artwalk event in Old Town Bay St. Louis adopts a theme.  Of course, celebrating the arts!  For the past four years, Dolly Parton has been the focus during January, the month of the music star's birthday.  It's called "Dolly Should," as in Dolly-Should-Come-And-Spend-Her-Birthday-In-Bay-St.-Louis.  

The day boasts a bevy of country-themed events with the grand finale being an extraordinary - and VERY competitive - Dolly Look-alike contest.  Stay tuned for complete details!  

Be sure to check out this month's "Hot Spot" businesses:  Mezzo Mezzo, 
300 South Second Street and Wild Gypsy Boutique, 131 Main Street.  Read more about them below in stories by Caroline St. Paul.  

Despite freezing temperatures last year, a large crowd gathered to watch more than 30 contestants in the Dolly Parton Look-alike Contest! photo by Ellis Anderson

Over the past twenty-three years, the monthly artwalk has become one of the most popular events in the region.  Old Town stays lively all day, with many merchants and restaurants offering specials. 

​The pace picks up from 4pm – 8pm, when gallery openings and live music keep the streets humming with activity. ​

This
​Second Saturday Artwalk 
​column is sponsored by

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Click here and scroll down for archived Second Saturday Artwalk features!

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Mezzo Mezzo 
300 South Second Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 466-4877

When Sonny Wright bought The Cypress Cafe in June 2017, he knew that he wanted it to be something that Bay St. Louis had never seen before.

“I want it to be something completely different,” he says, and that is exactly what you get when you dine in this authentic Italian and Greek restaurant located in the old City Hall building. 

Wright was retired when he first visited Bay St. Louis. “A friend brought me here, and he said, ‘You’re gonna like this place.’” Sure enough, Wright fell in love.

“Six months [after retiring], I was bored out of my mind, so I said, ‘I have to find me something.’” Sonny previously owned a restaurant in New Orleans, so this type of business was something he knew and loved. 

He opened Mezzo Mezzo in April 2017. A restaurant so unique had to have a unique name. Mezzo Mezzo translates to “half and half” in Italian, just like he is. (His mother was Greek and his father was Italian). 

Sonny completely remodeled the space, bringing Italian influences and simplicity to the restaurant’s interior.

“The Italians, they make it simple, not aggravated.” This is reflected in his food as well. “We make things just right; just enough.” Sonny serves Italian and Greek food, always fresh, never frozen. “I like to go shopping everyday,” he says, explaining that almost everything that he buys is local.

In the kitchen, Sonny is the only one cooking. He says, “I don’t want help.” This allows him to cook delicious family recipes that are all stored in his head. Some of his specialties include stuffed cauliflower, Greek salad, spinach and lobster ravioli, pizza, hummus, cappuccinos, and baklava made with pure, local honey. 

When asked if the community is enjoying the food that he makes, he shakes his head and says, “They’re really impressed with the food the way it comes out.” He adds that he never leftovers.

The biggest accomplishment for Sonny is when he sees his customers enjoying his creations.

​“It’s like a million dollars. That’s my reward when I see somebody bragging about the food.” ​​

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Wild Gypsy Boutique
131 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
228-596-7330

For the January 12 Second Saturday Art Walk, visit The Wild Gypsy Boutique and enjoy entertainment sponsored by The Peoples Bank, and get some glitter highlighter while you’re there! 

The Wild Gypsy Boutique is “your one-stop shop for everything beach!” This hip and fun shop is owned by mother/daughter duo, Karina and Brittani Carver. 

Karina and Brittani opened what they call a “beach vibe” boutique on Main Street in February 2018. They carry all things beach, but more specifically,  brands like Simply Southern, Natural Life, Victoria Lynn Jewelry, Original Mermaid, Glister, Buddy Love, Swan Creek Candles, Tab Boren Pottery, and Yellow Box.  

​The shop also carries an amazing array of sunglasses, sun hats, beach towels, bath ​bombs, flip flops, tees and tanks, glitter sunscreens and lotions.​

You are sure to find something special and fun at their adorable shop. There is always mermaid merchandise and glitter to be bought; some of their best sellers include glitter lotions and sunscreens, which make going to the beach even more enjoyable, Super Cool Tees, and Simply Southern merchandise. 
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“The best part of owning the shop is that we get to do exactly what we have always wanted to do in the place where we wanted to do it!” Their shop fits perfectly in Old Town Bay St. Louis, as it is just a short walk to the beach. ​

For the upcoming spring season, they are adding a lot of new products and lines to the boutique, including “a large selection of girls youth tees…  We will be starting the New Year off with oodles of cool Mardi Gras and crawfish tees with matching jewelry and koozies.”