Page 48 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2017

DINING topping it off
DARWELL’S
Named to Forbes Top 10 List
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos by Julian Brunt and courtesy of Larry Olmsted
Darwell’s Cafe in Long Beach is no stranger to the spotlight. The locally- owned restaurant has been a Coast favorite for years, and even caught the attention of Guy Fieri of Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2008. Now Darwell’s is drawing attention again, this time from Forbes magazine.
In their recent article, “10 Best Restaurants of 2016,” Forbes listed Darwell’s Cafe among the ranks of prominent restaurants from across the country. According to the author, Larry Olmsted — culinary expert and author of a New York Times bestselling food book — Darwell’s was his most surprising meal of the year in more ways than one.
“Go someplace with high expectations and it is easy to be disappointed,” said Olmsted in his article, “but go someplace someone recommended that you know nothing about and you might be awed.” And awed he was indeed. Olmsted remarked, “I was awed by Darwell’s Café, a true roadside joint that is literally on the other side of the tracks, just outside the Gulf Coast tourist towns of Gulfport and Biloxi.
Charmed by the hideaway-you’ve- just-discovered-something setting, the whimsical art covering the walls, the amazing bring-your-own-booze outdoor space with regular live music, and the super friendly staff, “I loved Darwell’s before I ever tasted the food,” Olmsted said.
Though the restaurant’s
atmosphere is strong enough
to hold its own, the quality of
the food is what really takes it
to the next level. “The menu
is broad, very Southern, and
ranges from BBQ to po’ boys, but
the focus is on Cajun, Creole and
fresh wild caught seafood of the Gulf
of Mexico, including some of the world’s best shrimp, excellent oysters and blue crab,” said Olmsted.
Olmsted also mentioned some of Darwell’s signature dishes, such as
the Darwell’s sampler, which includes crawfish etouffee, shrimp creole and gumbo, and the crab melt sandwich. “Everything is made to order all the time, and the place just serves up a great experience,” Olmsted concluded.
Darwell’s Cafe
127 E. 1st Street, Long Beach 228.868.8946
48 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • March 2017
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Larry Olmsted