If you’re not a seafood-lover (or even if you are) a dressed ribeye po’boy encased in French bread at Taranto’s in Biloxi’s Woolmarket area is always the perfect choice.
It can’t possibly be 10 years since I wrote about the revival of Gulf Coast restaurants on the 10th anniversary of the worst natural disaster ever experienced in Mississippi and neighboring states- Hurricane Katrina. I was trying to put a positive spin on the state of the Coast’s culinary scene after interviewing then-Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes in his office and witnessing his optimism about the rebirth of his city and the rest of the Coast. However, as the 20th anniversary on Aug. 29 nears, residents as well as tourists and frequent visitors like myself are still reminiscing about restaurants that never returned.
My list of “Gulf Coast restaurants I still miss” contains a few locally-owned places and a couple of above-average chains. In no particular order, here are a few of the places that I still remember fondly:
1. Bombay Bicycle Club – Located across from Biloxi Beach, this lively restaurant may have been better known for its lively “happy hour,” but my friends and I stopped by for dinner after witnessing the annual “Blessing of the Fleet.” I’m not positive, but I think I ordered a Monte Cristo sandwich. I dined there other times, but since I possess photos of our group posing in front of the restaurant, it’s the occasion I most remember.
2. Landry’s Seafood – I realize it’s part of a Texas-based chain, but there’s no denying that Landry’s food was really, really good. I distinctly remember the shrimp po’boy I ordered while visiting the Coast for a work-related trip. While the Gulfport restaurant was never rebuilt after being destroyed by Katrina, locations still remain throughout Louisiana and Texas; hopefully one day I’ll get the change to visit.
3. Chappy’s in Long Beach – This popular locally-owned restaurant was a favorite of friends who lived in the area. Every time I visited, a visit to Chappy’s was on the menu. My only memory of Chappy’s is the large platters piled high with mounds of fried and broiled shrimp that everyone at the table shared. I wish I’d sampled one of Chappy’s grilled steaks, something friends still rave about today.
4. Vrazel’s in Gulfport – Being treated to lunch at this elegant beachfront restaurant by the President of Jitney Jungle Stores, Henry Holman, following a work conference on the remains one of my fondest memories. I’m so glad I had the chance to experience the famous restaurant in 1997, just 8 years before it was decimated by Katrina. Vrazel’s was known for French, Italian, Creole and Cajun dishes. I remember ordering a chilled green salad topped with shrimp remoulade sauce. After perusing an old menu, I’m almost positive my entree was Shrimp Bordelaise – a sumptuous dish of fresh gulf shrimp sautéed in a garlic butter sauce over spaghetti.
A small sample of new favorites that emerged post-Katrina include fine dining spot BR Prime in the Beau Rivage; Taranto’s in the Woolmarket area of Biloxi; Gulfport’s Murky Waters BBQ and in Bay St. Louis, Cuz’s and the Silver Slipper’s Jubilee Buffet.
My Coast friends still reminisce about the shrimp and gumbo at Annie’s in Pass Christian; tasty appetizers at Bay St. Louis’ Dock of the Bay and Mary Mahoney’s separate 24-hour Café, which supplied gumbo, beignets and biscuits to the late-night crowd. None of these popular restaurants returned after Katrina.
After 20 years, I accept that our beloved Mississippi Gulf Coast will never quite resurrect its pre-Katrina quaintness and charm as well as many restaurants. But fortunately, the area has come back – in some ways, bigger and better than ever. And of course, we’ll always have our memories of a spectacular era of Gulf Coast dining.
To read my article written on the 10th anniversary of Katrina, simply click on the link or copy/paste into your browser: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/life/2015/08/25/coast-restaurants-serving-reviving-region/32347803/.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.
