Hattiesburg residents with a connection to Bay St. Louis join forces for a unique tailgate party.
- Story and photos by Lisa Monti
​

​They put together a plan and on the afternoon of April 27, the grounds of the historic depot will be the setting for “The Burg in da Bay.” It will be an informal party for “people who appreciate the Bay and its atmosphere and personality and peacefulness,” says Carroll, who owns real estate offices in Hattiesburg and Petal. She says she finds a sense of peacefulness “when my car heads south. It’s like an entirely different world.”
​

​Carroll is an unabashed fan of the city which she first visited on a date with her future husband, Ricky, a builder. “My heart is in Bay St. Louis,” she says. “It’s just so laid back, for one. And it’s got the beach, Old Town, the character. It’s got a special air to it and there’s no place like it on the Coast.”
 
Ka, a retired nurse, and husband Larry, a hospital administrator, started visiting the Bay together with some close friends who had a camp before Hurricane Camille. They bought their own camp in 2004 and now come down every weekend and love making new memories with their grown sons, their families and friends. “We just love the proximity to New Orleans and the town itself and the friendly people,” Ka says.
 

The organizers are keeping this first event simple, like tailgating but without the game. People are encouraged to bring their own food, drinks, tables and chairs and spend a few hours enjoying each other’s company. Kids can enjoy playing lawn games on the depots grounds.
 
They are getting the word out about “The Burg in da Bay” through emails, social media and word of mouth. They’ve made contact with about 100 people and are hoping for a good turnout plus good weather. If the interest is strong enough, the event will grow accordingly.
 
For more information, go toThe Burg in da Bay Facebook page.
 
The Burg in Da Bay
April 27, 2019  2-6 p.m.
Historic Depot grounds
Bay St. Louis

You know it’s beach season when The Pineapple sets up shop at the Washington Street Pier in Bay St. Louis.  
- story and photos by Lisa Monti

Sean saw an opportunity to spend time in the Bay by applying to become the county’s beach vendor. He started out three years ago with kayak, paddle board and chair rentals and last season he added the food truck.
 
“Last season we really started to get some momentum, with people looking forward to us being out there,” he said. The crowds swell as the weather warms up and schools let out. “It’s pretty packed down there. I’m impressed with the amount of people on the beach.”
 
Sean says he enjoys talking with his customers at the window of the food truck while taking their order for a cold treat or a snack. “The majority are from New Orleans but I’m surprised at how many international visitors are coming through for the weekend. There’s an amazing number of foreigners,” he said.
​

​The food truck, 18 feet long and 8 feet wide, is fully equipped with a sink, cooking equipment, an ice shaver, coolers and freezers. Sean says the morning set up is “pretty intense” and takes a good hour to unlock the beach chairs, set up the umbrellas, get the rental equipment ready and start prepping the food. But the crowds are worth it, he says, and every month there’s a holiday weekend to bolster the crowds on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. As the summer winds down, The Pineapple goes on a Friday to Sunday schedule through September.
 
The Pineapple
Washington Street Pier, Bay St. Louis
601-941-2182
thepineapplebsl@gmail.com

Offering a menu that changes daily, eat-in dining, and take-home meals, local caterer Tara Davis is sizzling with fresh ideas at the new Savage Skillet restaurant.
​
-story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson  

​A week’s worth of Savage Skillet breakfast and lunch menus are posted on social media at the beginning of each week. There are also Grab & Go items to eat in or take out and retail food items from Mississippi and Louisiana. 
 
Another new twist is the pricing: the breakfast and lunch menus have two daily options, one under $10 and the other around $10.
 
At last Sunday’s friends and family feeding, the food coming out of the kitchen practically shimmered with freshness: Spring mix salad with citrus dressing, perfectly cooked flank steak with homemade sauce, wraps packed with pork loin and veggies, tangy-sweet tomato and bacon jam bruschetta and pulled pork topped with house-made pineapple salsa. ​

Everything we sampled - including the roasted fruit, amazing hummus and creamy pimento cheese - showed that Chef Tara and Savage Skillet are raising the bar locally on fresh menu offerings.
 
Chef Tara is from Hattiesburg and first visited the Bay area with her family. “I always loved it and intended to come back to the area when the time was right.” She went to culinary school in Texas where she cooked professionally and earned a sommelier certification. She’s also worked on farms, in vineyards and breweries, food trucks and high-end restaurants.
 
She eventually moved to Bay St. Louis in October 2016 and for the last two years has been in the catering business under the Savage Skillet brand. She intended all along to open a restaurant, she said, “and here we are.” The catering business operates alongside the restaurant at the corner of Highway 90 and Bouslog across from the Post Office. She has four full time and one part time employees helping her.

 
Breakfast at Savage Skillet consists of various tacos (a tortilla filled with breakfast ingredients ) and house-made salsas - plus some weekly specials. Prices start at $3 and go to $5.95. The lunch menu has two items, from $5.95 to $11.95. Recent selections were flank steak with a caprese salad and tomato-bacon jam bruschetta or Quinoa-shitake soup and plum-ricotta or buttermilk chicken bruschetta. 
 
Savage Skillet stocks a cooler and freezer with prepared foods from $3 to $11. Items change weekly, but some are always available including soups, fruit salads, green salads, veggies, wraps and lasagna. The tasty variations of chicken salads also are always on hand.

The Savage Skillet name comes from Chef Tara’s philosophy that no kitchen functions properly without a big skillet. It also reflects a combination of her classical training and extensive experience with a love of off-the-cuff cooking. 
 
But don’t look for anything deep-fried. “Everything you can do to food, we do it, we just don’t fry. It’s not my cooking style and also there are lots of places to get good fried food.”

Savage Skillet 
1248 C Highway 90
Bay St Louis
228.344.3017
https://www.savageskillet.com
 
Storefront Hours:
Wednesday - Saturday
6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
 Breakfast 6:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
 Lunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This popular Ocean Springs-based business will open a new location in Old Town Bay St. Louis later this month. 
- story by Lisa Monti, Lisa Monti's Notebook 

Mueller said she’s toyed with the idea of expanding for about a year and thought Bay St. Louis would be “a perfect spot.” Now, she says, the two Marina Cottage Soap stores will be like bookends on the Coast.

The Bay St. Louis location will have a full retail store in front plus a large space in back to host events where you can learn how to make lotions and other bath products while enjoying live music. Think date night, birthdays or girls night out. “We can’t do that in Ocean Springs because of limited space,” she said.

Mueller has chosen two local nonprofits - Ruth’s Roots and Starfish Cafe - as beneficiaries as a way of paying back for Marina Cottage's good fortune. “They are two very special places and we want to do fundraising for them,” she said. 

Marina Cottage Soap on Main Street will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

Follow the new Bay St. Louis location progress on Facebook and Instagram.

Lisa Monti is a veteran journalist who writes and edits for the Shoofly Magazine.  She also publishes her own blog, Lisa Monti's Notebook, with Bay St. Louis building reports, agendas and more.  You can subscribe for free. 

Seven years ago, entrepreneur Melissa Hamilton opened her first small shop.  That business has grown exponentially and is now moving into a permanent home of its own.  
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson

​In its most recent renovation, the building was set up as a duplex.  For more than a decade, one side has served as a gift shop and gallery specializing in garden art, Twin Light Creations.  Twin Light owners Pam Collins and Joy Panks have lived in the stylish one bedroom apartment on the other side of the building. 
 
Hamilton is moving bijoubel into the shop side of 136 Main and will use the apartment side as a vacation rental.  Off the large covered porch in back, a studio space will become the new home for the Joan Vass shop.
 
Hamilton says she’s been shopping for a permanent shop location to purchase since she began her business seven years ago. 
 
“I knew if I was going to stay in business, buying would be an investment for my future,” she says.  

​Hamilton had looked at 136 Main when Collins and Panks had put the building on the market several years ago.  However, she didn’t make an offer and “put it out of my head.”
 
Over the Christmas holidays, Hamilton needed a ladder to hang Christmas decorations and went next door to 136 Main to borrow from her neighbors.  The casual conversation turned serious when she discovered the building was still for sale.  Hamilton and her husband made an offer and closed the sale in the end of February. 
 
The shop area at 136 Main is 1100 square feet – the same amount bijoubel currently occupies.  The move will begin right after the March 9th Second Saturday Artwalk and be complete by the end of March.  Hamilton doesn’t plan on any down time whatsoever. 
 
Hamilton expects the central Old Town location of the building and its history to keep the vacation rental filled.  Listed as the Angelone House on VRBO, reservations can be made starting in the middle of May.

​“The first time I walked in the building, it felt right,” Hamilton says.  “It’s got a historic great vibe and we’re definitely planning to add to it.
 
“Buying the cottage is the right move for me and my husband,” says Hamilton. “With the growth the town is having, it’s a prime time to have a business here.  We’re very excited about the Bay’s future.  I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
 

A new pub menu in the evening and new offerings for breakfast and lunch prove this restaurant's team is always open to fresh ideas.
-story by Ellis Anderson

For instance, debuting on the breakfast menu are Avacado Toast and Prosciutto Toast, joining the already popular cast of egg breakfast plates, frittatas, Pulled Pork and Grits, and Chicken & Waffles.  ​
​

​However, the biggest “new” at the Mockingird is the evening Pub Fare menu.  It’s offered Thursday through Saturday evenings from 5pm until closing (during the Second Saturday Artwalk each month, the pub menu will start at 2pm). 
 
Alongside the classic Mockingburger (still only $10 with homemade chips) and veggie Garden Burger, three different tacos take front and center stage.  They're all served up on a special hybrid tortilla made in New Orleans from 60% corn and 40% flour.

​ The two meat versions feature pulled pork drizzled with homemade expresso barbeque sauce, and grilled chicken with the ‘Bird’s own pico sauce and cheddar, topped with sriracha sour cream.  

​The meatless variety is just as hardy, filled with Garden Burger makings.  Order one taco for $3, two for $5 and three for only $7. 

​Can’t decide?  Try a $12 taco and beer flight and you’ll get one of each taco, paired with three 5oz servings of local beers like Lazy Magnolia’s Southern Pecan, Chandeleur’s Freemason and Mighty Miss’s American Pale Ale.  
 
If you’re just in the snacking mode, dive into the “still crackling” pork rinds fried up fresh in the kitchen. In addition, loaded French fries, pretzel bites and a meat & cheese board provide savory accompaniments to the adult beverages co-starring on the menu. ​
​

 
All drinks and house wines on the evening menu are $5, with pitchers of beer available as well ($15). Warm weather favorites are the Lushy Lemonade (spiked with vodka), Mimosas and the Mockingbird’s secret-recipe Sangria. The unforgettably named (and delectably tasting) Tequila Mockingbird is a mixture of rosemary honey, rosemary tequila and blood orange juice.  

Naturally, coffee drinks rank high on the menu.  A Bird Brew Martini blends cold brew coffee, vodka and vanilla.  One of the most intriguing libations offered is an Irish coffee made with Jameson’s, Baily’s Irish Cream liquor and a nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee called Bright-Eyed Nitro.  

​According to the ‘Bird’s operation and marketing manager, Whitney LaFrance, the relatively new cold-drip product is made in Ocean Springs.  The infusion process makes the cold drip taste creamier, without the addition of any dairy. 
 
LaFrance and Mockingbird general manager Laura Hurt have both worked at the Mockingbird since it first opened 13 years ago, in August 2006.  The two may be managers now, but regular customers still use their original titles: Coffee Goddesses.
 
“We’ve been here so long, the Mockingbird is much more than just a restaurant to us,” LaFrance said. “We have a really fantastic team too.  Everyone [who works] here cares about the community and the people we serve.”

LaFrance said the café loves to change things up from time to time to stay current.  Fresh ideas are sometimes offered by customers, but most originate from staff members.  The entire team enjoys traveling and scouts out adventures in eating wherever they go.
 
“We all enjoy talking about new ideas we’ve found and brought back to the Bay,” she said.  “It’s great watching those ideas skyrocket here at home.” ​
​

The Budweiser Clydesdale horses parade through Old Town during the Second Saturday Artwalk - with a colorful contingent of locals lending a Bay St. Louis flair.  We've got the story, the NEW parade route and a nifty map. 
- story by Lisa Monti

​The parade route starts at the Depot and heads to Union Street, turns onto Second Street to deMontluzin where it turns west to Beach Boulevard and right on Court Street to return to the Depot.
 
The majestic Clydesdales are always the favorite stars of memorable Super Bowl commercials. The working team made the first Budweiser delivery by horse to President Franklin Roosevelt in the White House and they distributed beer in this fashion for decades. The route on Second Saturday will include deliveries to restaurants and bars in the "old-fashioned" way.
 
To keep Second Saturday accessible to all, the streets will not be barricaded for the parade. Instead, there will be officers posted on every corner as the parade passes.
 
Organizers say everyone is encouraged to welcome this tradition of Americana to the Bay to enjoy the monthly Second Saturday Artwalk and the amazing Clydesdales, in one unique and memorable combination.

Lisa Monti's got the mouth-watering story on a new restaurant that's opening on Main Street this spring. 
- from Lisa Monti's Notebook 

Restaurateur Jourdan Nicaud, Field’s brother, said this will be the first restaurant the 23-year-old Field will be opening. It doesn’t have a name yet but “the goal is to open up around the beginning of April,” Jourdan said.

He said Field has been studying and working for the past two years in New York where he attended the Institute of Culinary Education and worked at the storied 11 Madison Park and La Nacional. Just this week Field worked with Jose Garces in the Iron Chef’s Philadelphia restaurant.

Jourdan Nicaud said the new restaurant’s steaks will be aged in house and hand cut and sell for $20 and up. Field is working on the menu’s specialty oyster recipes and Jourdan said he hopes to serve locally harvested oysters.
​
Jourdan owns Charred, a steakhouse/oyster bar in Ocean Springs, Bacchus on the Beach in Pass Christian and Biloxi, and Fill-Up with Billups breakfast/brunch restaurants in Biloxi, Jackson, Oxford and one opening next month next to his Hotel Pass Christian.

You can easily subscribe to Lisa Monti's Notebook blog on its home page! 

The first episode of “Inside Out with HL Raymond Properties” is set to premiere January 13, 2019.  Get the inside scoop from producer Holly Lemoine-Raymond, find details on the Premiere Party (Jan. 12) and check-out the show's schedule. 
- story by Ellis Anderson

Watch the thirty-second trailer for Inside Out

Like many popular home shows, Inside Out invites viewers into upscale houses for video tours.  But Lemoine-Raymond has added an interactive twist:  viewers are shown three exterior views of the houses and three interiors. The viewer has to guess which ones match up, which they’ll be able to do online with Facebook. ​

​Lemoine-Raymond says that working with the HGTV crews inspired her to find creative new ways to sell property on the coast and led to the production of the series.  She assembled her own production crew who wrote, filmed and edited the first episodes over the past six months.  
 
Twelve episodes will make up the first season of Inside Out.  Six have already been produced.  Later in the year, six more episodes will be completed.   The most expensive house that’s being featured is nearly a million dollars, with the least expensive in the mid-200 dollar range.  

​Each episode ends up with a short DIY segment by Lemoine-Raymond, or a real estate tip from one of her guests. ​While the properties featured on Inside Out are all HL Raymond Property listings, the broker says the entire Mississippi coast should benefit. ​

“The series and its companion social media campaigns give us an opportunity to introduce this area to new audiences,” said Lemoine-Raymond. 
 
The broker does double-duty on Inside Out, acting as both the show’s host and director.  

​“I’m there in the cutting room for every single episode,” she said.  “It’s so exciting to see the vision come to life.” 

The Premiere Party will take place on Saturday, January 12, 5pm - 8pm at Dan B's Restaurant, 109 S. Beach Boulevard, Bay St. Louis.  Meet cast and crew while seeing a sneak peek of the first episode that will air the following night. Dr. Rock Band will perform after the party.  Donations for Friends of the Animal Shelter will also be accepted. 

After an initial dampening of spirits, a favorite Bay St. Louis  holiday happening gets another chance on Saturday, December 15th! 
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson

So on Sunday, when organizers tossed out the idea of a reprise on the 15th, the response of participating merchants and restaurants was an overwhelming “yes.” 

Old Town Merchants Association president, Yuki Northington explains the unusual repeat of the event. 

“The Second Saturday Artwalk's been happening for nearly thirty years,” says Northington.  “And the December one is always a family favorite.  People come to shop local, eat out in the restaurants, take in the decorations and visit with neighbors.  It’s an experience that you can’t get in a big box store or a mall.”

​“So many people were disappointed the bad weather crushed it this year.  And our shop and restaurant owners – who depend on the December event to help get them through the winter months – were upset too.  
 
“So, we thought, why not do it again?” 
 
December 15th seemed tailor-made for the event.  The only other community event scheduled is the Live Nativity at the historic depot grounds, which starts at 7pm.  The play was produced last year by the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre and the Music, Arts & Practicality (MAP) children’s program and drew a large crowd.  
 
Northington says the second Second Saturday nests perfectly with the depot performance.
 
“People will be able to shop around Old Town in the afternoon, enjoy an early dinner and end the day at the depot grounds,” she says.  “Doesn’t get more hometown holiday than that!”
 
The merchants group is also working to schedule carolers for the evening of the SECOND Second Saturday (The Shoofly Magazine will post more details as they become available). 

Antique Maison  
December Hot Spot! 
111 North Second Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-466-4848

Bay-Tique
125 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-344-3043

Bay Books (open until 6pm)
131 Main Street #2
Bay St. Louis
228-463-2688
 
bijoubel Boutique
126 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
601-463-2494
 
Bizzee Bee
111B Main Street
Bay St. Louis               
228-467-1104
 
California Drawstrings
216 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-463-2124

Century Hall
Eight shops under one historic roof 
112 S 2nd St
BSL
504-810-7772
 
Gallery 220 
220 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-466-5347
 
Green Canyon Outfitters
108 S. Beach Blvd G
Bay St. Louis, MS  39520
228-344-3108
 
Joan Vaas - Off Broadway
 124 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
601-463-2494
 
Magnolia Antiques 
200 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-467-8170
 
Serious Bread Bakery
131 Main Street
Suite D                      
Bay St. Louis          
228-547-5075

Smith & Lens Gallery
December Hot Spot!
106 S. Second Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 254-6006
 
Social Chair 
201 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
228-466-585
 
The French Potager
213 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-364-3091

Wild Gypsy 
131 Main Street 
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 
​228-596-7330
 
Twin Light Creations
136 Main St
229-469-0011
 
 

Plastic trash barrels have been transformed by student and local artists, thanks to a new program that's being officially unveiled in Bay St. Louis, Wednesday, November 7th.  
- story by Lisa Monti

The litter containers - whose only adornment are the BSL initials - are being turned into showcases for art reflecting the Gulf Coast, according to Don Siebenkittel, the city’s code enforcement officer who is coordinating the mayor’s art project.

“All the barrels are being painted by local artists from youth organizations and local schools,” he said. “Most of the schools have art programs which are awesome, and these litter barrels are going to look fabulous.”
 ​

Some barrels will bear inspirational messages or school spirit shout-outs, but most will follow the Gulf Coast theme with original renditions of crabs, fish, boats or other coastal characteristics and inhabitants. None will be used to advertise businesses, though.

Adult artists in the community have also volunteered to take on the painting of a barrel. 

Siebenkittel said he’s enjoying getting out and working with the artists, along with his duties as the city’s code enforcement official, a job he's held less than a year.  But it's been an enormously busy one:  more than 800 properties have been cleaned up under Siebenkittel's watch.

So far about 30 litter barrels have been painted and will be placed along Beach Boulevard and Main Street. “Our goal is to have 100 of them by the end of the school year,” Siebenkittel said.
 
The public will get a look at the first collection of painted barrels when they are unveiled Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at City Hall. They will be placed around town starting the following week.
 
Siebenkittel hinted that the project might be expanded to making rain drums or other environmentally friendly assets for the city.

​“There are so many different environmental and educational ways to use the barrels,” he said.

One new commercial building and an addition to one of the oldest buildings on the coast have been approved by the BSL Historic Preservation Commission, with construction slated to begin soon. 
- story by Lisa Monti

Plans submitted to the Bay St. Louis Historic Preservation Commission for their Oct. 8th meeting show the proposed development at 128 Main Street with space for a restaurant and six boutique-sized spaces for lease.  The HPC approved the plans for the new building design.  

The project goes next before the Planning and Zoning Commission and then the city council for approval. 

 “We hope to start in 60 days and be ready for spring,” Fisher said.
​
​

Fisher is also awaiting a building permit to extend the rear of the building on his property at 146 Main at Gex Street, across from the Courthouse. When the work is done, Fisher will divide the building in half and make the space available for vacation rental and/or retail.  

The historic cottage, built in the 1840s, was home to "The Light," a small local newspaper in the mid-1900s run by Jeannette Carmichael.  Carmichael owned a pet monkey that became a community celebrity.  Residents eventually dubbed the cottage "The Monkey House."  Later the building served as law offices. 
​

In the mid-90s, Shoofly Magazine publisher Ellis Anderson purchased the building and renovated.  Anderson, a silver-smith who opened her first studio and gallery in the New Orleans French Quarter in 1984, opened the second location of Quarter Moon Gallery in the Main Street cottage.  The gallery was twice named one of Southern Living Magazine's Favorite Shops in the South. Anderson operated the gallery from 1996 until 2005, when she sold the building. 
​

A mid-60s addition in the rear of the Creole cottage was torn down post-Katrina.  While the building was gutted, stabilized and raised off the ground, it has been vacant since the hurricane. 

​The new addition that was approved by the BSL Historic Preservation Commission in September adds another eight-feet to the rear of the building. 

Fisher said the 146 Main Street property is getting a good bit of attention from the curious public.  The developer thinks he’s gotten more calls about the building than he’s ever gotten about any of his projects.  

​“We’ll be ready to go as soon as we have the permit in hand,” he said.

Editor's Note:  Former owner of 146 Main Street, Ellis Anderson, is working on a story about the "Monkey House."  She's looking for copies of "The Light" and stories about Mrs. Carmichael.  If you can help, please contact her at publisher@bslshoofly.com

This second annual music festival on November 9 & 10 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds kicks it up a notch this year with a stellar line-up of some of the region's favorite performers. 
- story by Ellis Anderson 

A historic Bay St. Louis barbershop has a new life ahead as home to a popular salon.
- story by Lisa Monti, photo by Michael Rosato

C&C's Italian Grill, one of Bay St. Louis's most popular eateries, becomes C&C Farm to Table on September 3rd.  Check out the new menu and find out why Chef David Dickensauge is giving the restaurant a delicious - and sustainable - makeover. 
- story by Ellis Anderson

​What remains is the award-winning chef’s dedication to fine food created from locally sourced ingredients.  The new concept meshes seamlessly from another of the chef’s businesses slated to open a few blocks away in mid-September – the Ugly Carrot, an artisan juice bar and local produce market. 
 
According to Dickensauge, all the food served in C&C Farm to Table will be produced within 100 miles of the restaurant.  “Since we’re doing it with the Ugly Carrot, it made sense to change over the restaurant now too.” 
 
“No large food purveyor will be delivering to this restaurant,” said the chef.  “The food we serve will be all produced by local farmers.  And all our seafood will be local too - not brought in from who-knows-where.  Every dish will be made from scratch.  We’ll be the only restaurant in South Mississippi to be 100% farm to table.”
 
While Dickensauge enjoyed the Italian theme of the original C&C’s, he said he felt confined by the menu. The new menu will change often, depending on what’s in season.  The basic theme is Southern, but expect to see the chef’s regional spin on Asian, Moroccan, Greek and Mediterranean dishes as well.  

​On the opening menu, diners who love to sample many flavors will have 18 fascinating small plates to choose from, like Lamb Empanadas, Smoked Crawfish Boudin Balls and Duck Confit Beignets.  Heirloom Tomato salad and Organic Mixed Greens are just two of the salad offerings, available with toppers that range from poached shrimp to grilled duck. 
 
Sandwiches include a Pork Belly Reuben, Soft Shell Crab BLT and a locally-raised Wagyu burger (Wagyu is a type of cattle prized for its rich tasting beef).  The “Big Plates” selections shine with Cous-cuos Crusted Local Lambchops, Cold Smoked Prime Rib and Cast Iron Crusted Local Catch. 
 
Locals will be happy to learn the restaurant’s tradition of daily specials will be carried on.  

​Monday:  Southern Style Steak Night specials
 
Tuesday:  A Taco Tuesday where all tortillas are made in house by hand.  Look for lamb, pork belly and smoked duck burritos.
 
Wednesday:  Half price Small Plates, bottles of wine and cocktails.
 
Thursday:  $25 three-course specials.
 
Friday:  Steak night - $28 steak with locally-sourced twice-baked potatoes and vegetables.
 
Saturday: A different special each week.
 
Sunday:  Single menu brunch and dinner available all day.  
 
Happy Hour – Monday thru Friday, 3-6pm (at the bar only):  Half price drinks and $5 for Wagyu burgers, flatbreads and small plates.
 
New Hours: 
Monday:  4pm – 9pm
Tues. – Thursday:  11am – 2pm & 4pm -9pm
Friday & Saturday:  11am – 10pm
Sunday:  11am – 9pm

For the inaugural Farm to Table opening on Labor Day evening, diners will have choices of  steak and pork chop specials.
 
“We’re really just returning to the original Cork & Cleaver concept,” says Dickensauge, referring to his original local in Gulfport.  “It’s all about the ingredients and cooking food the way it should be cooked.”  

Nikki Moon's story of creating a successful B&B despite unimaginable obstacles is featured in a segment on PBS's popular "Start Up" series - and it's now available to stream.  
- story by Ellis Anderson 

Now that the episode has been made available on the Internet, it's gained a whole new audience.  Moon says "the phone has been ringing off the hook" with people calling to congratulate her. 

In the interview, Moon discussed her first career in sales.  When asked by host Bredow what she sold, her response:  "A very strange commodity; I sold New Orleans."  The former tourism director of sales explained that she worked for the city's tourism division from 1979 until 2013.  

Moon left the job the first time in 2003 when she purchased a historic bed-and-breakfast on the beachfront in Bay St. Louis.  Two years later, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the inn and nearly took her life.   The interview follows her through the trials and tragedy that followed, which led to her eventually rebuilding a new Bay Town Inn on the site of the former one. 

Moon has obviously not forgotten her original career.  In the interview, she touted Bay St. Louis as being a charming arts community by the water with great restaurants and boutique shopping.  She also lauded the town's walkability and safety. 

The Bay's Historic District earned high marks too - the inn is located within the district  and the city's Historic Commission had oversight of the new inn's design. "It [the Historic District] is a great thing, because it keeps everything with the right look." 

When Bredow asked Moon to name the hardest thing about working for herself, she said it's the fact there's nobody to blame when she makes a mistake.  The best? The rewarding feelings she has making travelers' experience in Bay St. Louis a positive one.

Moon's final advice to those contemplating starting their own businesses?

​"Just do it!" she said.  

A legendary blues hall changes hands in Bay St. Louis, but the new owners will carry on the previous owners' dream of creating a community hub.  
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson 

When former owners Jesse and Kerrie Loya bought 100 Men Hall (303 Union Street) in 2006, they saved the derelict building from certain post-Katrina demolition.  The couple added on a spacious living area and moved in with their family.  
 
Continuing the rehab, the Loyas reopened the hall as a music and event venue in 2010.  The building had come full circle.  In the mid-1900s, 100 Men Hall had been a rocking stop for blues performers like BB King, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and James Brown.  Under the Loyas’ stewardship, the hall has hosted everything from weddings to Cajun dance parties in the past eight years.  ​

The building’s fascinating history was a major part of the allure for Rachel Dangermond, who is a writer, consultant and experienced community facilitator.  After visiting Bay St. Louis several times for solo writing retreats, the New Orleans native began considering relocation to the coast.  The Bay seemed an idyllic place for her nine-year-old son to grow up.  
 
And the peaceful setting would provide the perfect backdrop for the writers’ workshop side of her career that she planned to expand.  She’d been facilitating the memoir-writing workshops in her home for years, yet wanted to offer them more frequently and in a more formal setting. 

A coast friend who knew about Dangermond’s plans sent her information on 100 Men Hall when it came up for sale.  The writer filed it away until, after a trying day, she pulled up the link to the hall’s for-sale page.  She called immediately for a showing.

“We walked in and said ‘This is it!  This is where I can have workshops, facilitate, have pop-ups for artists,’” said the writer recalling her first viewing.  “The rest was just details.  From the moment I made that decision, people have come out of the woodwork to help make this possible.”  
 
The hall’s listing agent, Holly Lemoine-Ramond, noted that the sale itself was seamless.  “We had lots of interest, but this was meant to be.  When we all met for the first time, there was an instant connection.  While Kerry and Jesse knew they couldn’t choose who bought their place, it was wonderful to have a purchaser carrying on with the same basic concept.”
 
Real estate agent Matt Stieffel has been friends with Dangermond for two years and represented her in the sale. 
 
“I’m very excited for Rachel and her exciting new chapter resurrecting 100 Men Hall,” Stieffel said.  “Bay St. Louis is lucky to have her as a resident and proprietor for such an iconic piece of our history.” ​

Even though Dangermond and her son are still unpacking, she says she’ll be ready to host a workshop forMississippi Heritage Trust (MHT), August 8 – 10.  MHT’s director, Lolly Rash, had originally contacted the Loyas about hosting the event.  Dangermond decided to dive right in after discussing the transition with Rash.  
 
Ironically, the workshop focuses on financing and tax credits for historic buildings that are used for businesses.  “I’m going to participate too because I need to know these things,” said Dangermond.  
 ​

Although her business partner, son Tin, may be watching cartoons instead of attending the historic workshop, he’s still excited about learning the ropes of running an event venue at 100 Men Hall. 
 
“We’re going to split the money,” Tin said, during the Shoofly Magazine photo session.  
 
“He’s the hundred-and-first man,” said Dangermond, laughing.  “If nothing else [comes out of this venture], he’s going to learn the skills of running a business.” 
 
Between unpacking boxes and getting Tin ready to start school, the writer is still finding a bit of time to appreciate her new community.  She mentioned several helpful neighbors and new friends helping to smooth the big transition. 
 
“I’m so thrilled to be in Bay St. Louis,” she said. “The first day I spent in the hall, I took a long walk on the beach.  It felt like trumpets were blowing.” ​

Click below for more information and to register for the free Mississippi Heritage Trust workshop at 100 Men Hall, August 8 -10, 2018.  Space is limited, so reserve now! 

A trio of savvy entrepreneurs has created a new popsicle craze on the coast:  with fresh flavors and creative recipes, there's little wonder
- story by Lisa Monti

A year ago they finally found the Bay St. Louis storefront they’d been looking for when a space became available at 111 Main Street. The new store replaced a spot inside nearby Cuz’s seafood restaurant. The newest location - the fourth - is is now open alongside a gourmet candy maker in Grayton Beach, Fla. 
 
Pop Brothers products also are sold at other outlets including Lazy Magnolia, Margaritaville, Hard Rock and Scarlet Pearl casinos and Gulf Islands Water Park and at catered events and festivals from carts like the one that got it all started.
 
Shannon said the team is thrilled with the Bay St. Louis store. “It took us over a year to find a spot but we’re so happy to be here,” she said. 
 
And customers, including a good number of tourists, are happy that Pops Brothers is here too.

“We have visitors from everywhere you can imagine. It’s really amazing how many people end up in our store from all over the place,” Shannon said.
​
The shop has communal bench seating and big windows so customers can watch the flow of traffic on Main Street while they enjoy their selection.
 
On Second Saturday in June, when the monthly art walk and Frida Fest converged, the Main Street store sold a whooping 400 popsicles, the most daily sales yet for the location. 
 
Pop Brothers makes 50 varieties, all created by Octavia, an experienced chef with big-name credentials from his restaurant days in Chicago. He comes up with the flavors, using his creative culinary skills to combine fresh fruits and herbs and spices.
 
About half the menu flavors are available all year; the rest depends on what fruit is available and that’s dictated by seasons and weather. “We’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,” Shannon said.

All the ingredients come from within a 2.5-hour radius except for the exotic fruits which come in to New Orleans from South America, Cuba and other points. “My husband is an expert in sourcing and buying and creating flavors,” Shannon said. He’s known in-house as the Pop Master.
 
So what are customers craving this steamy summer? “The top three are Oreo cheesecake, berries and cream, the mango and strawberry lemonade and the Barq’s Root Beer float. It’s fantastic. It even tastes bubbly,” Shannon said. 
 
To keep up with demand, Pop Brothers makes 2,000 to 3,000 a day by hand. “That’s the key to why they taste so good,” Shannon said. “Once it’s automated you loose something."
 
The pops come in three categories: fruit, cream and indulgent. For the really indulgent, you can get yours dipped in dark chocolate, white chocolate or both.
 
Pop Brothers also has created two Pooch Pops that are extremely popular with spoiled dogs and their owners. “We sell tons of them,” Shannon said. One is made with chicken broth, fresh green beans and other good stuff for breath and coat. The other is made with peanut butter, cheese and bacon. My dog lapped his up.

Pop Brothers
111 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 304-0024
​website

Hours
Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday   11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

One of the world's top travel companies, names Bay St. Louis as one of America's 25 Favorite Beach Towns.
- photos by Ellis Anderson 

“This is a phenomenal opportunity to showcase everything that Bay St. Louis has to offer, which will in turn benefit the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast as a destination,” said Segarra. ​​

Nikki Moon, owner of Bay Town Inn on Beach Boulevard in Bay St. Louis, also serves on the Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast board.  

"For Fodor’s to list Bay St. Louis amongst so many incredible beach destinations across the US is a real honor," said Moon.  "I am thrilled to see this wonderful, resilient Mississippi Gulf Coast town garner such widespread attention.

​She continued.  "As a community, Bay St. Louis strives to create the perfect coastal atmosphere for visitors and locals alike, and it looks like our efforts are paying off, as we gain momentum in terms of media exposure, accolades and visitation."  

Local businesses receiving shout-outs in the article are the Starfish Café, Bay-tique, The French Potager and Gallery 220. The Mardi Gras Museum in the historic depot was also spotlighted. 

Here's what Fodor's had to say about Bay St. Louis:  

Katrina hit this Gulf town hard in 2005, but it’s come back strong. Old Town, overlooking the marina, bay, and white-sand beach, thrives with buzzy restaurants (Starfish Café) and artsy shops (Bay-Tique, The French Potager, and Gallery 220, representing local artists).

​Instead of cars, many people get around town by golf cart, on foot, by bike, or even by kayak. Whatever your mode, keep an eye out for the town’s “Angels in the Bay,” created by chainsaw-wood sculptor Dayle Lewis from live oaks that died in Katrina’s wake.

The free Bay St. Louis Mardi Gras Museum features beautiful Mardi Gras costumes, and provides information on the history of Mardi Gras on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

See the other towns on the Fodor's Travel website. 

Bay St. Louis is named number four of thirty "Most Beautiful" towns in America in a list curated by Expedia, a leading international travel website.  
​- story and photographs by Ellis Anderson 

You’ve heard being by the water is good for the soul and Bay St. Louis is the perfect place to test it. Surrounded by the bay and marshlands, this pretty little coastal town is a sailor’s delight. 

Stroll to the marina and listen for the sound of sailboats creaking against the dock, or build sandcastle masterpieces on the shore at the end of Main Street. 

You’ll find beauty in touring the quirky Gallery 220 Main art gallery, searching for Dayle Lewis’ angel trees, and watching the neighbors gather for a chat on the porches of shotgun cottages.

Expedia travel writer Chloe Mulliner told the Shoofly Magazine that the Bay's Historic District set against a serene natural landscape was the combination that won her over. 

“Sitting along Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Bay St. Louis is the kind of place you find yourself daydreaming about," she said. "Whether you're kayaking along the bay at sunset, exploring the local flora along Possum Walk Trail, or admiring the historical architecture of Old Town, there is beauty everywhere you turn. 

"It's no wonder Bay St. Louis graces our most beautiful cities list!”
​
Other cities that made the list are St. Augustine, Florida, Tyler, Texas, Fairhope, Alabama and Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.