Page 23 - Play Coastal Mississippi - Spring, 2024

The Blind Tiger in Bay St. Louis
Red Apple Lounge, which is a newcomer to Downtown Ocean Springs and was inspired by the films of famed screenwriter and director Quentin Tarantino.
And since empanadas are currently taking the Coast by storm, when they want a little something Latin- inspired with a New Orleans flair, they venture over to Empanola in Biloxi. When lunch and shopping are on the agenda, they spend the day at the Promenade in D’Iberville. “There are just so many great places to go to and there’s always something new to try, it’s really hard to pick a favorite,” she said.
Over in Jackson County, Mandy Dunn of Pascagoula is a frequent visitor to both the famous Bozo’s Seafood Market and its adjoining restaurant Bozo’s Too on Ingalls Avenue. The Pascagoula native highly recommends trying the crawfish nachos. “We are there just about every weekend when crawfish season begins,” she said. “It’s definitely a can't-miss place.”
Brady’s Steak and Seafood is a great date-night waterfront restaurant that’s worth checking out and The Jury Room is a favorite lounge spot. Dunn and her family stop by the Blind Butcher Shoppe often when its renowned crawfish and sausage King Cake smothered in smoked queso is in season. And Tay’s BBQ in Moss Point has the best barbecue sauce and smoked tuna dip on the Coast.
As a realtor at Coldwell Banker Alfonso, Dunn and her coworkers frequent favorite lunch spots like DeMaiz Taco Cantina for street corn and nachos and love to shop at the unique boutiques in downtown Pascagoula, which is a growing shopping haven. During the summer, a favorite cocktail place is Huck’s Cove in Gautier, which is on the water with open-air dining.
But not all Gulf Coast locals are Mississippi natives. The Coast is full of transplants like Lee Cyr who lives in Bay St. Louis, but came by way of Dayton, Ohio. He said relocating to Old Town Bay St. Louis was the easiest, best decision he’s ever made.
“I tell people from out of town all the time, cruise around Old Town and you’ll stay on the Gulf Coast forever,” he said. “I made a trip to New Orleans, and we stayed in Bay St. Louis. From the first time I cruised Old Town, I was pretty much hooked and knew I wanted to live here.”
When he’s not brokering real estate deals at PowerMark Properties, Cyr is performing solo acts at local bars belting out blues songs. And it didn’t take him long to learn all the beloved hotspots. “For seaside dining, you just can’t beat The Blind Tiger, which sits right next to the beautiful municipal harbor,” he said. “You can eat and breathe the fresh sea air and have something different every time you go. And Dat Kitchen Too in Waveland is kind of a squat-and-gobble place. It has great Southern-style cooking that never breaks the bank and without question, Brooklyn Pizzeria (in Gulfport) is the best New York-style pizza you'll ever eat.”
The Rusty Pelican is an out-of-the-way, go-to Long Beach spot and it’s hard to beat Shaggy’s open-air dining and bar at the Pass Christian Harbor, as well as other locations across the Coast. If you’re searching for a sports bar, the Red Zone in Diamondhead has you covered. “And they even have karaoke,” he said of Red Zone.
But no matter where you dine, shop, visit, or play on Coastal Mississippi, you’ll go home with lots of breathtaking memories, or you just might never leave.
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Spring 2024 PLAY COASTAL MISSISSIPPI 23